Alea Iacta Est
by Jaenera Targaryen
Summary: She abandoned her family a long time ago, rolling the dice in childish impudence and by chance won the winner's roll. Over ten years have passed since then, but as Rin Tohsaka and Shirou Emiya arrive at the Clock Tower, Sakura Tohsaka wonders if interesting times are come again.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Alea Iacta Est

Prologue

Rain fell heavily from a grey and dreary sky, streaming down along the facades of the city's buildings, puddling on the roads, streets, and alleys, and flowing down gutters and into drains. The city's air matched the sky's appearance above, people going to and fro on the streets in silence, huddled into coats under umbrellas, hurrying without care for strangers towards their destinations and out of the cold and the wet.

Water splashed from puddles, strongly as cars and other vehicles sped past on the road, weakly from the more sedate pace of the pedestrians on the street. It dripped down from overhangs above the partly-sheltered alleys, the homeless and the destitute huddled in makeshift shelters with what little possessions they had, struggling to keep warm and dry as best they could.

One such homeless was a little girl, not even of school age, huddled in a shelter of cardboard somehow patched together. Her clothes were dirty, her skin all scuffed and smudged, and her dark hair matted and tangled. Blue eyes dully stared out onto the world, face slack with resignation, and as her stomach growled hungrily she closed her eyes and huddled further into herself and her shelter, even as lightning flashed and thunder boomed overhead.

She didn't notice the slight tingling of her body, as _something_ swept out in response to someone else feeling her presence. Not with the numbing cold and wet, and even if she had she'd have dismissed it as coming from the gnawing hunger that had been a constant companion since she'd had to fend for herself.

She did notice, however, when someone approached her shelter, heavy boots stepping firmly on the concrete, and came to a halt in front of her. The little girl looked up, taking in the redheaded young woman in a plain brown but well-made overcoat, holding an umbrella over herself and the little girl's shelter.

Brown and blue eyes stared into each other, but when the young woman knelt down the little girl looked away. She ignored the young woman holding out her hand, but as the minutes passed and the young woman just stayed there, the little girl finally looked back.

The young woman smiled kindly, and nodded encouragingly. Smiles…kindness…she missed being given those…but she had been the ones to give up on them…if only because they were fake…they weren't real…

But…she missed them so much…maybe…this one…wasn't fake…

Slowly, the little girl raised her hand, thin and bony from hunger, and met the young woman's. Heat and numbness jolted through the little girl body at the touch, and she jolted back, scrambling back as she could in fear into her shelter.

 _They'd found her._

 _They'd take her back._

 _Back to that house where people smiled and were kind…but didn't really care at all…didn't want her…so she didn't want them either…_

 _…even though she missed them so much…_

 _…why?_

 _It was all fake. It wasn't real. Nothing in that house was real._

 _She was just like a doll to them. Something to play with, and give away when they got tired of her._

 _That was all she ever was._

"Interesting," the young woman said, taking off her glasses. "Now, what are the chances I'd find someone as… _exceptional_ , as you in a place like this? And how?"

The little girl looked away. "Please go away." She whispered. "I just…I just want to be alone. I…I don't want to go back. I…"

Heat and numbness burned through the little girl's body, and something moved unseen through the air towards the young woman. "I…I'm not who you're looking for." The little girl said.

The young woman laughed softly. "Very interesting," she said. "I guess that answers the what and the how. A little runaway from an incompetent family…well, what's their loss might just be my gain."

"…please go away. I…I just want to be alone…that's all…"

"I could do that." The young woman answered with a nod, but then her eyes began to glow. "But I won't. Because you see, you're a very interesting child. And I like interesting things. So, come along now."

Slowly, jerkily, fighting to keep her body from doing something she didn't want it to do, the little girl crept out of her shelter and towards the young woman. "Sleep." She said, pressing her fingers against the little girl's temple.

Darkness fell.

* * *

 _Thirteen years later_

"Where's Luvia?" a brunette young woman asked.

"No idea." A blonde young woman of the same age answered.

"Oh I know!" a second brunette replied to the first brunette's question. "I hear she got into a spat with a newcomer from Japan. Apparently, the newcomer's boyfriend knew Luvia, and well, things kind of got…heated."

"Okay…that's good to know." The first brunette answered. "That doesn't answer my question though. Where's Luvia?"

The second brunette shrugged. "They went for a spar, I hear." She said. "You should probably be able to find them in one of the training areas."

"Okay…I think I will. Thanks Julia." The first brunette said, already walking away. "See you later."

"Yeah, see you later, Sakura." The two girls chorused, while Sakura strode off.

Making her way through the Clock Tower to the training area usually favored by Luvia, Sakura only had to ask a few times to know where Luvia exactly was, and as the sound of heavy fighting could be heard the young puppet master sighed and picked up the pace. Entering through a doorway, the training area was well-lit, surrounded by great pillars, and large enough to allow two fighters to pummel each other without regard for collateral damage all the while allowing spectators to look on from a safe distance.

Sakura raised an eyebrow as she spotted Luvia fighting in that leotard of hers, and her opponent…

" _Who's that?_ " Sakura thought to herself, watching the brunette dressed in a sweatshirt and shorts trading blows and leaping and moving around the training area at high speed along with Luvia. " _She looks…familiar…could it be?_ "

Sakura took a step back, and palmed one of her cards. Taking a look around, she stepped into the thin crowd of onlookers, and then raised an eyebrow as her eyes fell on a redheaded young man standing at the head of the crowd. Something about him seemed…promising, promising in the way that her master had taught her to spot in the ten years and more they'd been on the run from the Association's hounds, before the sealing designation was finally lifted, but it was one lesson among others that was well-learned and still well-used.

Stepping closer, Sakura politely cleared her throat. "Hello," she began. "I haven't seen you around here before. Are you new?"

"Huh?" the redhead asked, turning to Sakura, who smiled up at him. "Oh uh…yes, yes I am. My name's Shirou Emiya. I'm uh…an apprentice, of Rin Tohsaka over there. We arrived just recently so…yeah, you probably haven't seen us around here before."

"Rin…Tohsaka...?" Sakura echoed before looking back out onto the training area. As Luvia's opponent continued to fight and move with her, Sakura carefully took in her features, and briefly met her eyes, and Sakura smiled slightly.

" _Well, that explains why she looks familiar._ " Sakura thought to herself. " _Yeah…I should have remembered. She should be finished with high school by now, and it's only to be expected that she'd come here._ "

Sakura laughed internally. Interesting times were here, it seemed. And to think she was getting bored not having to keep a constant eye out for assassins and bounty hunters and other lowlifes that she and her master had had to watch out for back before when they'd been on the run.

It was honestly not something she had expected…though things _not_ going as expected had always been a thing for her through her life.

More to the point though…

…her sister was here. And it was inevitable that she and Rin would end up meeting each other, sooner or later. How would things go when that happened?

The perfect heiress of the Tohsaka Clan, meeting the – as Sakura assumed she was seen by her (former) family – disgraceful runaway who'd abandoned her responsibilities and the opportunity offered to her. Admittedly, it was rather stupid – if her master hadn't found her on that day she'd have probably starved or frozen to death or worse within the year – and born of childish impulsiveness, but still…

…she knew better than to expect forgiveness. Magi were not the kind to forgive easily.

Even her master's sealing designation being lifted was only done for pragmatism's sake, the Association finally deciding that reconciliation with one of their brightest (former) members was more beneficial than said member constantly on the run or in hiding from them, and likely to end up biting the dirt sooner or later and taking her research to the grave with her, and forever beyond the Association's reach.

" _I should make some preparations, just in case._ " Sakura thought while continuing to watch Luvia and Rin fight. After a moment though, she turned back to Shirou.

"I assume that Rin Tohsaka is the one Luvia is fighting?" she asked, feigning ignorance.

"Yeah," Shirou replied. "Wait…Luvia? You know her?"

"Of course I know her." Sakura said, crossing her arms and smiling smugly. "I'm her best friend…or at least I like to pretend I am."

Shirou laughed weakly. "But you are her friend?" he asked.

"I am." Sakura said, briefly closing her eyes before looking back onto the training area. "Though I've only known her for a year or so."

"I see." Shirou said with a nod, also looking back into the training area. "That's fine. I've only known Rin for about as long, maybe less actually, and well…"

Shirou trailed off, and though Sakura looked at him curiously he didn't continue. The fond smile though…that was pretty telling.

Sakura was fond of her master herself, though there were different kinds of fondness. The fondness that Shirou Emiya seemed to have for _his_ master though…

 _That might be useful._

"Aren't you two a bit young to be master and apprentice?" Sakura asked instead.

Shirou laughed weakly again. "Yeah, well…" he hesitantly said, rubbing at the back of his head. "These things happen."

"I'm sure they do." Sakura said with a laugh. "No, really: I was five years old when I met my master and started my apprenticeship."

"Five years old?" Shirou echoed. "Isn't that a bit young?"

"Not really," Sakura said. "Magi start training fairly young, usually around four or so."

 _Well, Rin had started training at four. She didn't know about her master, or other magi for that matter, but that didn't matter._

"I…see…"

Sakura smiled encouragingly. "Anyway," she said, turning to face Shirou fully and holding out a hand. "I haven't introduced myself properly. Sorry for that, my name is Sakura T. but you can just call me Sakura. Nice to meet you."

"Shirou Emiya…but you knew that already." Shirou said cheekily and with a smile, the two of them sharing a laugh as they shook hands. "Sakura Tee though?"

"Yes, T." Sakura said with a nod. "And yes, I'm Japanese like you and your…master, though I haven't been to Japan in a _long_ while."

"I see." Shirou said with a nod. "That's good to know. And it's nice to meet you too."

Sakura nodded, and then as the two of them turned back to the training area, Sakura nodded. "This might take a while." She remarked. "From the look of things, your master's gotten Luvia really riled up for some reason. I wonder why."

Shirou laughed uneasily. "I wonder why too." He said.

Sakura laughed as well. "Well," she said, turning to leave. "I have to go attend to other things. I hope to see you around, which we probably will, seeing as you seem to be familiar or at least acquainted with Luvia."

Shirou nodded. "Yeah, I suppose we will." He agreed.

"Come to think of it, have you even joined a department yet?"

"Not…really…" Shirou admitted uncomfortably. "As I said we only recently arrived. Rin's headed for the Department of Mineralogy. Not sure what I can do there, but I might end up there, being her apprentice and all."

"Not necessarily," Sakura said. "My master's from the Department of Archaeology, but I'm a member of the Department of Creation."

"I see." Shirou said. "That's good to know."

Sakura smiled and nodded, and without another word left. Shirou stared after her until she vanished into the crowd, and then turned back to where Luvia and Rin were still hammering at each other.

Unnoticed to the rear of the crowd, Sakura continued to watch until the match's end. As it did, Luvia and Rin lying side by side in the middle and Shirou hesitantly moving closer, Sakura pulled out her deck of cards. Replacing the card she'd palmed earlier, she shuffled the deck and then pulled out another card on random.

Turning it, she raised an eyebrow at her draw: the Joker.

 _Now, is that a good or a bad omen? Oh well, we'll see soon enough, I'm sure._

Replacing her deck back into a pocket, Sakura smiled at her friend and (former) sister in the distance, and then turning, left the training area. She had other things to do, plans to draw up, and preparations to make.

* * *

A/N

 _Alea iacta est_ , Latin for 'the die is cast'. Originally referring to Julius Caesar's crossing of the Rubicon river in defiance of the Roman Senate, here it refers to our girl Sakura running away after she was told she'd be given away but before the Matou could pick her up.

Because reasons.

And she got lucky, **_way_** luckier than if she'd stayed. Of course, her luck may have just run out, what with Rin now at the Clock Tower, and she may or may not be hostile to the runaway who shamed the Tohsaka Clan by abandoning her responsibilities and the opportunity given to her.

Whether or not her musings on 'interesting times' being there for her (again) are accurate…we'll see.

Somewhat slice of life, so updates will be infrequent.


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Alea Iacta Est

Chapter 1

The clerk on duty at the records office looked up in surprise at the young woman who'd just filed a request at their office. "Is there a problem?" Sakura asked.

"Not as such," the clerk said, leafing through the papers he'd been handed. "All the paperwork seems to have been properly made out, so that satisfies the needs of proper procedure, but…"

"Yes?"

"May I ask why you're asking for up to date personal profiles on the current members of the Tohsaka Clan?" the clerk asked. "You are one of them after all. Wouldn't you already know? I apologize if I seem to be prying, I'm just curious that's all. You don't need to answer if you don't want to, or if you can't."

Sakura shrugged, casually running a hand through her curls. "We've been out of touch." she said. "Things got…complicated, a while back, but with the next family head just having arrived at the Clock Tower, I thought I needed to update myself."

"I see." The clerk said, again leafing through the submitted paperwork. He nodded. "Very well, everything seems to be in order. We'll send the requested information over to your assigned workspace by tomorrow morning. I just need you to sign at the logbook here, and then it's all good."

"Alright then," Sakura said, taking the offered pen and placing her name, the time, and her signature on a logbook provided by the clerk. "This is discreet, right?"

"Unless they're from our office," the clerk said, taking the pen and logbook back. "Or from the College of Law, or from the higher-ups from any of the departments, we don't talk or give out information on anyone who files for what they need from our office. Not as long as it's done properly. And even in the latter cases, they need a warrant to get that kind of information. So yes, this is discreet."

"Please and thank you."

The clerk nodded as Sakura turned and strode away, out of the reception area for the records office, and thence out of the secluded wing which was host to said office. As she did so, she checked her wristwatch and nodded at the time.

"Right," she said, pausing to put on her coat, buttoning it up and straightening the lapels followed by her tie. Sweeping her some stray hairs out of her eyes, Sakura checked the time again before heading out towards the Clock Tower's main exit.

She had work to do.

* * *

The waterfront was loud and busy, massive super-freighters either docked along the quays or anchored further out on the water, along with smaller vessels of assorted sizes. Standardized containers were stacked high into the air, cranes towering even higher lifting and moving and lowering containers from one place to another along the waterfront, or to and from ships.

Workers bustled along the waterfront, wearing brightly-colored helmets and jackets over their uniforms. A jeep moved quickly along the waterfront, then slowed to a halt at one of the piers. Sakura got out, smoothing out her clothes before approaching.

"Good morning." she greeted as she approached a man along the pier who had an air of authority about him.

"Good morning," the man said, shaking Sakura's offered hand before taking the clipboard offered by the driver, himself another man who worked at the docks. "Ah, I see. You're Miss Aozaki's representative, then? Miss…Sakura…Tohsaka?"

"I am." Sakura said, falling into step beside the man as they took a short walk to a nearby warehouse.

"Well, the paperwork seems to have been properly made out." The man said, leafing through the papers attached to the clipboard. "Since everything's in order, you should be able to pick up Miss Aozaki's package with no problems."

"Well, that's why I'm here."

The man shot a glance at Sakura at that, briefly checking her out. White collared blouse with long sleeves, dark-brown coat with long sleeves, matching tie and knee-length skirt, black leather shoes…

"May I ask if you're with the military?" the man asked.

"Huh…no, not really…do I give off that impression?" Sakura asked with mixed confusion and amusement.

"To be honest miss, you do." The man said. "In fact, I daresay with that pin-curled hair of yours you wouldn't look out of place in a war film set in the 40s."

Sakura laughed. "Yes, I've heard that before." She said, running a hand through her curls. "What can I say, I find it's classy and elegant in equal measure."

The man laughed as well. "Well, at the very least you're better dressed than some young people these days." He said, opening the door and inviting Sakura to enter first. Sakura nodded her thanks and entered the warehouse followed by the man, who quickly strode past barking orders while checking with the clipboard a couple of times.

Sakura pushed him out of mind, letting the man do his work, while looking around the warehouse. It was well-lit, powerful halogen lights hanging down from the ceiling, while industrial-grade air conditioners high-up kept the interior and what it stored cool.

Boxes and crates were stacked high in orderly rows, metal and plastic markers with lettering and numbers in red identifying each row for organizational purposes. Sakura blinked, turning towards a forklift machine approaching with a large, metal crate.

Coming to a halt a few steps away, it lowered the crate before the supervisor from before nodded. "Here you go, Miss Sakura." He said. "Your employer's package. Would you like to check if it's intact?"

"Of course."

The supervisor nodded, leading the way to the crate where he opened a small panel set into the side. A blinking display was inside, above a small keypad along with a small set of switches and a large dial. "Temperature is stable at negative thirty-one point nine degrees." The supervisor said. "Your package is perfectly in cold storage, Miss Tohsaka."

Sakura nodded, taking only a small glance at the display. Stepping slowly around the crate, she moved closer and opened an inspection panel. Eyes narrowed as she peered through, taking in her master's prize, and then nodding in satisfaction stepped back while closing the panel.

"Well, everything seems to be in order then, gentlemen." She said. "My thanks."

The supervisor nodded before turning and giving another order. "I'll have a lorry brought here to help with delivery." He said before pulling out a pen and jotting some words down on the release papers. "I'll also need you to sign here…here…and here, if you please, Miss Tohsaka."

Sakura nodded, taking the clipboard and the pen and placing her signature on the indicated spots. The supervisor nodded as he watched, and then again as he took the pen and clipboard back. "Splendid," he said. "Now, we just wait for the lorry and then you may go, Miss Tohsaka."

Sakura nodded her acknowledgment.

* * *

The truck slowed to a halt in one of the Clock Tower's delivery areas, Sakura stepping out of the passenger's seat as the driver did so out of his seat. As the driver busied himself opening the truck and unloading the cargo, Sakura smoothed out her clothes and hurried to meet an approaching woman with red hair and wearing a dark green dress.

"Master…" Sakura began only for Touko Aozaki to wave her to silence.

"You brought the package." She said. It wasn't a question.

"It's intact, and in cold storage."

"Excellent," Touko said, finally giving a smile of satisfaction and approval while adjusting her glasses. Master and apprentice approached the unloaded package nearby, now loaded onto a wooden roller, with the truck driver standing nearby.

Touko stepped up to the package, checking the cold storage settings followed by visual inspection through an inspection panel of what was inside. Nodding in satisfaction, Touko stepped back while taking off her glasses, and glanced in the driver's direction with her mystic eyes glowing.

The driver went slack, and then nodding numbly shuffled off. "Sakura," Touko began while working on the temperature controls. "Get it out of the crate, and start moving it to my workshop."

"Won't it start melting? I don't have any ice magic on me."

"Leave that to me, just get it out of the crate."

"Okay."

Sakura pulled out a trio of cards, poured some prana into them, and unsealed a trio of puppets. They were vaguely humanoid in appearance, their faces eerie harlequin masks, lacking legs with only a trio of rings below their waists through which faintly pulsed blue energy and keeping them afloat in the air.

"You three," Sakura said while Touko opened the crate. "Get the package out, and bring it to my master's workshop. And don't you dare drop or damage it, or I swear I'll rewire your neural networks. Now, hop to it."

The three puppets nodded, floating over to carry the package out of the cold storage crate, revealing it to be what looked like a caveman in the middle of death throes frozen in a large chunk of ice. "You go on ahead," Touko said, clapping Sakura on a shoulder. "I'll take care of the driver, and catch up once that's done."

"Understood, master."

Touko nodded, and then stepping away Sakura led her puppets and their cargo out of the delivery area, and then through the service area into the Clock Tower proper. Magi and others stared in curiosity as Sakura and her puppets passed by, though they quickly averted their gaze as Touko joined them a few minutes later.

"I still have no idea how you managed to get your hands on an actual Neanderthal that's been frozen in a…well, kind of pristine state." Sakura asked.

Touko grinned and patted Sakura on the back. "And that my dear," she said. "Is why I am the master, and you are the apprentice."

Sakura laughed and nodded. "True enough, master." She said before briefly glancing over a shoulder at Touko's material. "On another note, how did it freeze so quickly and solidly that no rot seems to have taken place?"

"No idea," Touko admitted while also glancing back at her new material. "I'll probably figure it out sooner or later, but it's probably just academic."

"You don't think it's significant in anyway how it froze so quickly?"

"Sakura, my higher-level teachings to you focused on puppetry, and not much on my other projects," Touko began. "That said, you've helped out with them enough, you are smart enough, and you are enough of a magus to know more than what I intended to teach you. I'm sure you can connect the dots well enough on your own. Don't disappoint me."

"Yes, I'm sorry master." Sakura apologized. "That was a stupid question."

Touko nodded. "Yes, it was." She said before narrowing her eyes. "On another note, I hear Rin Tohsaka has arrived in the Clock Tower. I assume you already know, I heard of that due to her…altercation, with the Edelfelt heiress shortly after arriving, and you are close to said heiress. I also assume that you already know it's inevitable that you will meet sooner or later. If so, I find myself wondering if you haven't already started planning just in case."

Sakura nodded. "I have." She said.

"And?"

"Well, in the worst case I'll just follow in your footsteps, master."

Touko snorted and then actually laughed. "Hey now," she said. "Just because I'm your master it doesn't mean you should emulate me in every way."

Sakura just shrugged and smiled. "Will they really be so hostile though?" Touko asked.

"They may not," Sakura agreed. "But you have to admit the probability of that is rather low. Magi are prideful creatures after all, and when I turned my back on my family ten years ago, I did shame them for having such a…selfish, daughter who'd abandon her responsibilities without a care. Not to mention humiliated them by leaving a planned adoption to revive and bolster an old alliance dead in the water."

"True," Touko conceded. "But is Tohsaka really that prideful? That description is something of a generalization…if accurate enough."

Master and student shared a smile at that. "If what little I remember about my father can be trusted," Sakura finally said. "Then yes, Tohsaka is that prideful."

"I see." Touko said while nodding slowly.

"That said though," Sakura thoughtfully began. "That same pride might just lead them to offer what they would no doubt see as a…magnanimous, chance at 'redemption'."

"Oh?"

"I see two possibilities." Sakura continued. "One is an arranged marriage to someone of their choice…and the other is to once again take up the Matou name from over ten years ago."

"And if either are offered to you," Touko said. "How would you respond?"

"The former is negotiable, I suppose." Sakura admitted. "The latter though…ha! Not a chance in hell! I've been studying under you for over ten years, master, so my entire magecraft is based on yours and thus learning theirs would mean forgetting everything I've learned so far to start over from scratch. That withered clan of nobodies from a backwater country has nothing to offer me."

"Strong words," Touko remarked. "But don't forget, both of us are also – in the eyes of much of the Association – derived from clans of nobodies from a backwater country. So you might want to tone it down a bit."

"I understand, and I'm sorry if I went too far." Sakura said with a small bow. "But you understand what I mean, right? And also, even if our origins are…obscure, you're a Grand Magus with a color designation…"

Touko's eyes narrowed in warning before glancing sideways, but while Sakura didn't catch it, she knew better than to step any closer than that. "…apprentice," she continued. "So I daresay we're at least a step up from our origins."

"I suppose you have a point there." Touko said, briefly closing her eyes and letting go of her apprentice nearly making a fatal mistake. "And it cannot be denied that Matou has completely withered away…I do not understand just why your father would value their goodwill so much when they've clearly been disconnected from their foundation. All you'd have succeeded in doing is stave off the inevitable for a generation or so."

"I do not understand either." Sakura said. "No, I know better now, that is I don't hold my father sending me away for adoption against him anymore. That is normal, expected even, for magi. The problem is…"

"Exactly," Touko said with a nod. "The problem is _who_ they planned to adopt you. For someone who aimed to ensure your potential wasn't wasted, it was undoubtedly a shortsighted decision."

"And they still might be quite shortsighted." Sakura said with a sigh.

"If they are then they should just stay in bed and not face reality." Touko said harshly. "What a waste that would have been."

"Yes, as you say, master."

Touko nodded, master and apprentice falling silent as they left the commons and entered the Department of Archaeology. The receptionists and guards looked belligerently at Sakura – who was from the Department of Creation – as she made to follow her master, but an icy glare from Touko had them backing down.

"Don't worry about them." Touko assured Sakura as they walked past, deliberately speaking loudly to be heard. "Though by now they should know better and to recognize you by sight, my apprentice, and allow you to come and go without issue. And to be honest…it's getting irritating."

"As you say, master."

* * *

Sakura knocked on the door, and it was opened by a young man in a butler's uniform. And not just any young man: it was the redheaded young man she met a few days ago, Shirou Emiya.

"May I…Miss Tee? Is that you?" Shirou asked in surprise.

"Yes, it is I, Sakura T." Sakura said with a smile. "Mister Emiya, this is an unexpected pleasure, though judging from your attire, I assume you're here on business?"

Shirou chuckled and nodded, opening the door wider and inviting Sakura inside. "Well, yes." He said. "I've recently started working for Miss Luvia as her butler. I assume you're here to join her and her friends?"

"As a matter of fact, I am." Sakura said, stepping inside and taking off her coat. Shirou closed the door, and taking Sakura's coat with a bow hung it in a nearby cabinet.

"This way please." He said, leading the way.

"I know my way around, Mister Emiya."

"Yes, of course," Shirou said. "But I have to do things properly as well, Miss Tee."

Sakura laughed. "Of course you do." She said.

Shirou nodded and walked in silence with Sakura following through Luvia's suite, before finally arriving at a parlor where Luvia and several other girls were chatting away over tea and biscuits. "Miss Luvia," Shirou began with a polite cough. "Miss Sakura Tee is here."

Eyes looked in his direction in surprise and confusion, and behind Shirou a scowling Sakura made 'play along' gestures that had the girls rolling their eyes. "Yes, I can see that Shero." Luvia said. "Sakura dear, your seat's over here. Shero, more tea please."

"Yes, Miss Luvia." Shirou said with a bow before politely taking his leave.

"…Miss Tee?" Luvia began once Shirou was out of earshot. "Really, Sakura?"

"It's not 'Tee', it's T. as in the abbreviation of my family name." Sakura replied. "It's not my fault he hasn't figured it out."

"Yes, and I assume it's not deliberate at all on your end." Vier von Anhalt said with a roll of her eyes.

"It's a necessary deception, just in case."

Eyebrows rose at that, even as Shirou arrived with more tea. It was poured for Sakura, and served with a bow. Sakura nodded her thanks, and with another bow Shirou left as well. "Shero's a nice young man." Luvia said, running a finger along the rim of her teacup. "Nothing like that boor of a master he has, that Rin Tohsaka. I'd appreciate it if you didn't hurt him at all or even involve him in whatever scheme of yours that's in play right now."

" _Nothing_ is in play right now." Sakura replied after taking a sip of her tea. "Just…primed, or being primed."

"Really, Sakura," Vier said while shuffling a deck of cards and beginning to deal. "Is there any need for such underhanded measures?"

"You know as well as I do that there _might_ be." Sakura said. "That's right, depending on how things turn out, you'll have to be prepared to cut ties with me. If things go south, it means making an enemy of my former family."

"And since when did that become a problem?" Luvia asked lightly.

"I just don't want to cause trouble…"

"My dear Sakura," Luvia interrupted with a smile. "Did you forget? My family _lives_ for trouble. There's just so much fun to be had and prizes to be won in it. Not to mention an opportunity to incite that boor of a sister of yours would actually leave me in your debt."

"In my case though," Francoise de la Main d'Argent said with a nod. "Since when was there a need to fear the antagonism of an obscure family from a backwater land? No offense,"

"None taken," Sakura said. "They haven't been my family in over ten years, for all that I still use their name. Though, if that's the case why I am here, keeping you high-born ladies company?"

"Well for one thing Luvia has vouched for you." Francoise said. "And for all that your paternal lineage is…suspect, your grandmother was of the noble Edelfelt lineage. That counts for a great deal."

"And her blood flows truer through Sakura than it does through her older sister." Luvia remarked.

"Don't forget too," Vier added. "You're an apprentice to one of the youngest magi to ever achieve the rank of grand in the history of the Association. Even Lord El-Melloi II is nothing compared to her."

"Master isn't very fond of Lord El-Melloi II."

Eyes rolled around the table. "Yes, we know." Luvia said with a sigh, and Sakura smiled while picking up her hand.

"So," she asked. "Who goes first?"

Luvia's response was to place a bet, then to discard a card, and then to take a new card in its place.

And with that, the game was on.

* * *

"I didn't know you had other Japanese friends, Luvia."

"Hmm?" Luvia hummed in surprise, to find her butler smiling at her. Suppressing a blush at the unintentionally sweet and charming smile, Luvia coughed once to regain her composure. "Yes, well, it was a surprise to me as well at the time."

"Oh?"

"Sakura…" Luvia said softly while thinking to herself. "I think it was about two years ago now, when I first met her. She came here to the Clock Tower accompanying her master, Touko Aozaki, a former sealing designate."

"Sealing…designate…?"

"Yes." Luvia said with a nod. "I'm not sure if you know, but Touko Aozaki is _the_ authority on puppetry, and with good reason. For centuries now, puppetry has been in decline as anatomical science grows increasingly advanced and generally known, but somehow Touko Aozaki was able to escape such degradation, developing and producing puppets of such skill and craftsmanship unseen in centuries. That led to her sealing designation, in order for the Association to capitalize on her skills and breakthroughs as a puppeteer. However, it seemed that such would been a hindrance to whatever greater research Touko Aozaki had in mind, so she fled, going on the run to be hunted down by Association enforcers and third parties for years."

"That seems a bit…selfish, of her."

"I suppose it is." Luvia agreed. "On one hand, if she'd cooperated, she'd certainly have revolutionized puppetry and benefited the whole of magi society…but on the other hand, it'd have crippled her research, setting her back on her path to reach the Root. For a magus, the natural choice would be to avoid such an outcome, even if it means being, as you put it, selfish."

Shirou briefly looked away, and then nodded once in understanding. "Anyway," Luvia continued. "Touko Aozaki's sealing designation was lifted about two years ago, due to a developing manpower crisis in the Association. Too many skilled people leaving or going into hiding for one reason or another…so in the end they decided to cut their losses and started lifting sealing designations to resolve it."

"Did it work?"

"To an extent," Luvia said with a nod. "Not everyone who'd left or gone into hiding came back, but enough did. Basically, the Association figured that even if they couldn't force the best and brightest to sacrifice their goals as magi for the greater good, just having them around would benefit everyone by association, which is better than _not_ benefiting from them at all by either being dead, on the run, or simply _gone_ for one reason or another."

Shirou nodded. "That makes sense." He said, and Luvia laughed.

"It does, doesn't it?" she asked, and Shirou smiled slightly. "Anyway, Sakura was Touko Aozaki's apprentice, and much like you were she was admitted into the Clock Tower for said reason. She joined the Department of Creation, where she remains to this day."

Luvia paused thoughtfully. "To be honest," she said. "I'm not too sure why she didn't follow her master into the Department of Archaeology…perhaps they have differing opinions on how to reach the Root, though they do remain professionally close, as far as I know. Oh well, it's not really uncommon, and it's not my place to pry. More tea please, Shero."

"Yes, Luvia." Shirou said with a bow. "Would you like some macarons too?"

"Yes please!"

Shirou beamed and taking the empty teacup away bowed. Alone now, Luvia sat back in her armchair, closing her eyes and resting them while waiting for Shirou to return. He did after a few minutes, with a steaming fresh cup of tea and a plate with a generous serving of macarons on it.

"Thank you, Shero!" Luvia said with a wide smile before popping a macaron into her mouth.

Shirou smiled back and bowed. For a while he just looked on as Luvia enjoyed her late snack, but then he spoke up. "Sakura…Tee…" he said softly and thoughtfully.

"Hmm?" Luvia hummed before finishing chewing and then swallowing, washing it down with some tea. "Is there something bothering you?"

"No, not really, it's just…somehow…I get the feeling I've seen her before. Miss Tee, that is." Shirou explained.

Luvia sat back in her seat, a finger tapping on an armrest. A thought briefly came up to tell Shirou exactly why that was the case, but she quickly dismissed it. Sakura had all but said she had no intention of revealing herself to her former family, though she inevitably would be discovered, and in light of that fact had already begun preparations just in case.

More to the point, as Sakura had no intention of revealing herself, to do so by Luvia would be nothing less than betrayal. And while Luvia was many things, she _wasn't_ a betrayer, least of all of her friends.

 _If he's to know he'll know when his master knows, and not before._

 _Or at least, not from me._

"I wouldn't know why that's the case." Luvia finally said. "Maybe it's because she's also Japanese, and apart from you and Rin, the only one here in the Clock Tower along with her master?"

Shirou blinked and laughed. "Yeah, I suppose that's probably it." He said. "Sorry, I shouldn't have bothered you with something so trivial."

"No, it was no trouble at all." Luvia said with a smile before her expression turned serious. "That said, I would advise against prying too much into other people's circumstances. We magi are rather secretive, even here in the Clock Tower, for all that's it's supposed to be an academic institute for magecraft."

"Yes, I understand." Shirou said with a smile before tilting his head. "Your macarons are getting cold though."

Luvia blinked and laughed. "Thanks for your concern." She said, nodding at Shirou who bowed back.

 _You're so sweet, Shero. I hope if things go badly and whatever measures Sakura has in mind pull you in, you won't get hurt too badly, or at all._

 _Huh…maybe there'll be an opportunity for me there._

With those thoughts in mind, Luvia returned to her snack.

* * *

A/N

Welcome to the game, Touko and Luvia.


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Alea Iacta Est

Chapter 2

"Holy Grail War?"

Sakura was in her workshop in the Clock Tower's Department of Creation, sitting at her desk while reading the dossiers on the Tohsaka Clan's current members forwarded to her by the records office. There were three: one for Aoi Tohsaka, one for Rin Tohsaka, and humorously enough (since Sakura no longer considered herself – and likely wasn't acknowledged by her relatives either – as a member of the clan despite still using their name), one for herself.

The dossiers included such things as birth certificates, family records, legalities involving financial worth, legal cases pending and otherwise (if any), publicly-known assets and liabilities, citizenship, etc. Those were of passing interest to Sakura at the moment though, and she only skimmed through them, using a commonly-known spell among magi to perfectly commit them to memory before moving on. Her focus was on the personal profiles.

Aoi Tohsaka was of little real interest, and what was of interest was that she was widowed. Sakura already suspected that, given no dossier was forwarded with regard to Tokiomi Tohsaka among the current members of the Tohsaka Clan, but this pretty much confirmed said suspicion. The dossier even gave when and how Tokiomi Tohsaka had died: twelve years ago, during the Fourth Holy Grail War. No details though…

 _I should look into that later._

Rin Tohsaka's dossier though…Sakura already knew most of it, at least in terms of generalities. That Rin's potential was equal to her own…Sakura knew that as well. The same went for Rin's status as an Average One. That she had participated in a Holy Grail War was not.

"…the fuck?" Sakura muttered, looking around in confusion. "But…it's barely been ten years since the Fourth Holy Grail War. The Fifth Holy Grail War shouldn't have happened for another forty years…what the hell happened?"

Sakura leafed through the dossier, but there was no information on how the Fifth Holy Grail War had proceeded, or why it had begun four decades ahead of schedule. The dossier mentioned Rin had summoned an Archer Class Servant, but not his identity…

…though, it did mention that Rin was ultimately the victor of the Fifth Holy Grail War, along with her apprentice, one Shirou Emiya, who had been the Master for the war's Saber Class Servant.

 _Shirou…Emiya…? That young man? Hmm…interesting…maybe I can learn something from him…but how…?_

 _And more importantly, Rin won the war? If so, what did she wish for?_

Sakura sat back, thinking for several moments before opening a drawer and withdrawing a series of request forms. Quickly filling them out, Sakura prepared to file a request for details on the proceedings of the recent – only last year in fact – Fifth Holy Grail War. Glancing at a wall clock as she finished, Sakura gathered her notes, the dossiers, and put them away.

Walking over to a closet near the door, Sakura took out her coat, put it on, and buttoned it up. Returning to her desk, Sakura gathered the request forms, and then priming her bounded fields, left for the records office.

She had a request to file, followed by another teatime chat with Luvia and the rest of her circle.

* * *

"The Holy Grail War?"

Sakura nodded at Luvia. "Yes," Luvia said with a nod of her own. "I was aware the Heaven's Feel ritual was held the previous year. Didn't you?"

"I honestly have not been keeping track of things in Japan." Sakura said, taking a sip of her tea. "That said, when it came up during a…subject, I've been looking into, I was caught by surprise when I learned that Heaven's Feel was held last year."

"Oh? And what might that subject be?'

Sakura smirked. "Contingency planning." She said with a wink, and everyone present chuckled.

"Typical," Francoise said while elegantly tucking a lock of hair behind an ear. "Then again, it pays to be prepared for when things turn sour."

"It does indeed." Sakura said. "Anyway, going back to the previous topic…don't get me wrong, it's not so much I missed Heaven's Feel that's the issue. I'm just concerned, that's all, on an academic level. Specifically, Heaven's Feel is supposed to be held every fifty years…so why did it happen last year, when the Fourth Holy Grail War took place only twelve years ago?"

There was silence and glances all around the table, and Luvia nodded slowly. "I see your point." She said. "Yes, that is a rather curious fact, isn't it? That said, I also noticed you mentioned your concern is academic in nature. If so, then what is the issue?"

"The ones who participated in it are." Sakura said, pausing to take a sip of her tea before continuing. "Why it happened early is a side project at best, and a low priority one at that. But, my contingency planning is focused against a certain mutual…acquaintance, of ours. And she participated in last year's Heaven's Feel ritual. The same goes for her apprentice, that butler of yours."

"Certainly," Luvia conceded with narrowed eyes. "If she survived a Heaven's Feel ritual at her age, it's quite the accomplishment."

"Perhaps," Sakura said with veiled skepticism.

"You disagree?"

"I'm not saying surviving Heaven's Feel is an insignificant feat," Sakura said. "But much of the fighting is done by Servants. And Einzbern aside, the participants are usually a bunch of nobodies who'd gamble everything on a wish machine."

"Are you saying then that your family are a bunch of nobodies?"

"Yes."

Everyone around the table stared at Sakura, who calmly drank her tea. "Tohsaka has a lineage going back barely two hundred years." She said. "Even mine and Rin's potentials are merely the result of a eugenics gamble winning big twice in a row. The complexity of the crest she bears also owes a great deal to our paternal grandmother, who possessed a crest from the main line of the Edelfelt which was integrated with the fledgling Tohsaka Crest. And finally, for all that the clan holds the post of Second Owner for a valuable piece of real estate, and is quite wealthy…it's a backwater as far as the Association and the powers that be are concerned."

Sakura paused and drank her tea again. "So yes, nobodies." She said. "Also, correction: they're not my family anymore. Even if I still use their name, my impulsiveness thirteen years ago, for all that it is partly-excusable, deprives me of the right to consider myself one of them. I'm sure they'd agree."

"…wow, Sakura." Vier remarked. "That was harsh…but completely true, I suppose."

"If I might give some advice," Francoise began. "Given what you said about being one of them in name only, you should stop using their name as well. I have a feeling it might give you trouble in the long run."

"I need a surname, if only for legal purposes."

"Then pick a random one, and make it memorable with your deeds now and in the future."

"Nonsense," Luvia said dismissively. "If Sakura here were to give up her birth name, then she can and should pick better than a random, _common_ name. Yes, that's right. Sakura dear, when you're finished with your apprenticeship, come and see me. We'll discuss this matter further."

"That'll take at least five more years." Sakura said. "My _magnum opus_ will take at least that long to be finished. And…what are you plotting, Luvia?"

"I do not plot." Luvia scoffed. "I _plan_. There is a difference."

There was much eye-rolling and chuckling at that. "Oh fine," Luvia said, sipping some tea to regain her dignity. "If you really want to know, I was thinking that's all, that once you finish your apprenticeship you'd essentially have proven yourself as a true-blooded descendant of our clan. If so…then it's only fitting that you bear the proper name for it."

"…I don't want to cause trouble…"

Luvia scoffed and waved dismissively. "Five years, you say?" she said firmly. "Good…I _am_ Edelfelt now, and I will _be_ Edelfelt then. _I_ decide who is family and who is not."

Sakura frowned uncomfortably, and then sipped her tea. "I'll keep it in mind then." She said diplomatically. "Thanks for the offer though."

Luvia nodded. "That said," Sakura continued. "We've strayed from the topic though. As I was saying…Rin Tohsaka participated in a Heaven's Feel ritual, survived, and even won."

Luvia choked and coughed. "Wait…" she said. "She won?"

Sakura blinked, and then nodded. "Yes," she said. "She was the winner of the Fifth Holy Grail War, according to the Association's own records."

"I didn't know that!"

Francoise rolled her eyes. "Well now you do." She said, and Luvia glared at her.

"Someone's head is going to roll for this." She growled. "Anyway…if she won, what did she wish for?"

"No idea." Sakura said with a shrug. "The records don't mention that."

Luvia narrowed her eyes, and Sakura just knew she was making a mental note to look into matters further later. "Anyway," Sakura said with a cough. "I was just thinking, that's all. The Masters of the Heaven's Feel ritual are usually a bunch of nobodies…but there are exceptions. Einzbern for one. The Fourth Holy Grail War had the Magus Killer and Lord El-Melloi. So…yeah, surviving and winning may not be as much of an accomplishment as it appears to be…or it could be. And I need to know to know when it comes to planning for the future."

There were slow nods all around. "Well," Vier said while pouring some more tea for herself. "If nothing else, you just have to improvise."

"True," Sakura said while scratching at her temple and then sighing. "And I suppose I have a lot of practice when it comes to that. Really…thirteen years running with my master…though technically only ten or eleven of those were as fugitives…"

Sakura trailed off and sighed. Francoise drank her tea while shrugging. "Just hope for the best and prepare for the worst, my friend." She said.

"And just what do you think I'm doing?" Sakura asked with another sigh. "Anyway, let's move on from this unhappy topic."

"Oh yes, let's!" Vier said excitedly. "Did you know?"

"No, we don't." Francoise said blankly, before smirking at Vier's scowl.

"Anyway," Vier said with a cough. "There's going to be an art auction next week, apparently some rich old bachelor died without an heir, and his collection of art pieces is going to be up for sale."

"Oh?" Luvia said. "Have they released a catalog?"

"Sadly no," Vier said with a shake of her head. "But I hear the pieces range from painting, sculptures, and other pieces made in the Neo-Classical, Realist, Impressionist, Expressionist, Fauvist, Cubist, and Futurist schools. Oh and…"

Vier paused for effect, smiling knowingly at Sakura who raised an eyebrow while drinking her tea. "Art Nouveau." She said, and Sakura froze before slowly lowering her teacup.

"Art Nouveau, you say?" she asked.

"Yes."

"…sign me up, if you please."

There was laughter at that, and then Vier pulled out a small stack of tickets for the auction, and slid one across the table to Sakura who pocketed it with a nod of thanks. "Anyone else?" Vier asked.

"Might as well have a look." Luvia said.

"Father would appreciate some new pieces for his collection." Francoise mused. "I wonder if they have any ivories though, father loves those."

Vier just smiled wider and handed her friends their tickets for the auction.

* * *

Several days passed, time which Sakura spent productively. Attending lectures and seminars in the Department of Creation, assisting her master on her research in the Department of Archaeology, working on her _magnum opus_ , meeting with her banker to discuss financial matters, preparing the paperwork and legalities in case of emergency…

…and finally, looking into the progress of the Fifth Holy Grail War. It was from that last that she decided to focus on Shirou Emiya as a means to get some inside information on the potential enemy that was her own sister, Rin Tohsaka.

A familiar began to shadow Shirou Emiya, at least outside of the Department of General Fundamentals. No need to spark an incident between their two departments of course, as a familiar shadowing one of their members in their territory could be construed as spying. Things like that happened all the time, that much was understood, but there was always the rule 'don't get caught'.

And Sakura wasn't too confident in her ability to not get caught – at present – spying or rather shadowing on another magus within another department.

Thankfully, spying on or shadowing someone wasn't as much of an issue in the commons or the residential areas. Unless it involved high-profile individuals, such cases were usually brushed off as inconsequential by the Association hierarchy so long as those involved kept the complications discreet.

Sakura wasn't actually spying though. She was just…keeping track, of Shirou's movements. Watching and waiting for an opportunity to get him away from his master or his employer, and have some time to themselves to talk on certain matters of interest for Sakura.

Eventually…such an opportunity did arise. And Sakura was quick to take it, even if it meant owing Luvia a favor in the future.

"Shirou is _my_ apprentice." Rin coldly said to Luvia. "I don't appreciate you taking so much of his time that he's falling behind in his studies, or that he misses his sessions with me."

"I understand your point." Luvia said serenely. "But from the look of things, it's simply a matter of time management. Furthermore, his hours attending to yours truly are fixed within his employment contract. Oh they can be amended…but it requires the consent of both parties. So unless Shero is here, I have to say we can't quite resolve this issue here and now."

"…where is he anyway?" Rin said after a moment of looking around. "Isn't he supposed to be…on duty, right now? Here, in your suite?"

"Oh yes indeed." Luvia agreed with a nod. "But I sent him out on an errand. He is my butler, after all. Sadly, it is quite an errand, so he won't be back for a while, I'm afraid."

Luvia smiled at the seething Rin. "More tea?" she offered.

 _Sakura, you owe me **big**._

* * *

"Hello there, Mister Emiya."

Shirou blinked, turning to see the familiar figure of Sakura Tee approaching. She was dressed different from normal today though, if still along the lines of…30s (?), 40s era fashion that she seemed to prefer.

In particular, she'd replaced her usual coat with a long coat buttoned at the waist, and had donned a fedora on her head. She'd also forgone her usual leather shoes for high-heeled ones instead. "Um…hello, no…good afternoon, Miss Tee." Shirou said with a smile and a polite bow. "I didn't expect to see you here though. Going out this afternoon?"

Sakura blinked at Shirou. "Oh?" she asked. "Didn't Luvia tell you?"

"…tell me what?"

"What exactly did Luvia tell you to do?"

"She said to wait here for someone to come and…that was you?"

Sakura smiled and nodded. "So I am." She said. "Luvia's busy right now, but apparently she's heard you haven't seen much of London. Or rather, not much more beyond what most visitors see. Or in short, you haven't been around much."

Shirou chuckled and nodded. "Guess I can't argue with you there." He admitted, and rubbing the back of his head. "But…I'm just too busy. Classes and seminars, plus helping Rin with her research, working for Luvia…I don't really have free time."

"Well," Sakura said, drawing herself up. "Luvia says this afternoon and evening will be free time for you. But since she's busy, and I'm not, she asked me to show you around."

Shirou blinked and then coughed. "I…I don't want to impose on you…" he began, but Sakura waved him off.

"Oh it's no trouble at all." She said. "Unless of course, you'd rather not have my company this evening…?"

"No, it's not that!" Shirou quickly backtracked, and then drawing himself up coughed to regain his composure. "Alright…then, I'll be in your care tonight."

Sakura beamed, hooking her right arm around Shirou's left arm while walking with him out of the Clock Tower. "Tell me, Mister Emiya." She began. "Have you ever been to a jazz club?"

"I can't say I have."

Sakura looked at Shirou and then shook her head. "Well, that's no good." She said. "You're missing out on a fine life experience. So tonight, I'll show you a place with good music, fine company, and drinks worth your while."

Shirou blinked and then laughed at his companion's cheerful enthusiasm. "Please do, Miss Tee." He said.

* * *

Sakura led Shirou away from the main thoroughfares and high-end districts of the city, and into a warren of narrow side streets, small shops, cafes, bars, and restaurants. Despite the seemingly low-end location, the place was full of people going to and fro, well-dressed and looking very well-to-do, while the streets and its modest businesses were clean and well-kept.

It was a long walk away from the Clock Tower though, and by the time they arrived at their destination, night had fallen in full. They'd spent their time walking chatting about their experiences in the Clock Tower, while Sakura pointed out landmarks every so often for Shirou to keep in mind.

Eventually, they arrived at a club with an anachronistic exterior, one that would not look out of place during the 30s and 40s. On closer inspection, the rest of the building above the café, and the buildings and businesses on either side matched the club's theme, which in hindsight was probably shared by others on this street.

Jazz music drifted out of the interior, a sax playing cheerful but serious notes at an even pace with high and lows at the right spots, and which Shirou quickly found himself relaxing at the sound of. "Shall we go in?" Sakura asked, and Shirou nodded.

"That's why we're here." He said. "It looks like an interesting place at least, and I like the music already."

"Of course you do." Sakura said with a laugh. "It's _jazz_. Who can't love jazz?"

"Everyone has their own opinions." Shirou reasoned. "Though…let's not get into that right now."

Sakura laughed. "Reasonable, aren't we?" she remarked. "Fair enough, I suppose."

The young man and woman entered the club, filled with people chatting and drinking and eating, some seated in booths along the walls, or at tables across the club, or simply stood where there was room, clustering into groups of friends and acquaintances. Most were of a decidedly older age group than Shirou and Sakura were, though none matched the theme of the place as well as Sakura did, apart from the employees themselves.

Moving with familiar ease, Sakura navigated through the club and crowd with little difficulty, still arm in arm with Shirou, and made their way to the bar. "Hello, Miss Sakura." The bartender cheerfully said as Sakura sat down, taking off her fedora and placing it next to her. The man glanced curiously at Shirou as he sat down next to her. "Friend of yours?"

"Friendly date, actually." Sakura said, running a hand through her curls. "Nothing romantic, right, Mister Emiya?"

"Sure, let's go with that." Shirou replied with a nervous laugh.

 _Now that I think about it, this probably wasn't that good an idea. If Rin catches me right now…oh no…_

"So what'll it be, Miss Sakura?" the bartender asked.

"You shouldn't have to ask." Sakura said. "Rum and cola, as usual."

"Right away!" the bartender said. "And for you, Mister…Emiya, was it?"

"Yes, Shirou Emiya." Shirou said with a nod. "As for me…hmm…I think I'll just have an orange juice."

"Oh come on," Sakura protested. "We're all adults here. You can do better than that, Mister Emiya."

"No…I…that is…"

Sakura smiled and then turning to the bartender nodded. "Make that two rum and colas." She said.

"Two rum and colas, coming right up!"

"…I really shouldn't."

"Life is short, enjoy it as best you can." Sakura said, folding her hands on the bar's surface. "Especially in our line of work, walk with death and all that."

"Yeah…I guess…"

Sakura just smiled and shrugged, turning on her seat to look around the club. After a moment Shirou did likewise, taking in the customers in their booths, around their tables, at the bar, and across the club. He took in the three-man band playing on the stage, and the couples dancing on the dance floor.

Shirou then turned back to Sakura, and then blinked. In the half-light of the bar, there was something…familiar, about the young woman sitting next to him. Almost as though…he'd seen her before…no…more than that…

 _Do I…know her?_

 _Have I met her before?_

Sakura turned back to the counter, but then noticed Shirou staring at her. "Can I help you?" she asked curiously.

Shirou blinked, and then shook his head. "No," he said. "Sorry about that. I kind of zoomed out there for just a bit."

"Ah…I see. No worries, it happens, especially in a place like this."

Shirou nodded in agreement, and then their drinks arrived. "Thanks, Richard." Sakura said, picking up her glass and toasting Shirou. Shirou picked up his own glass and returned the toast, before raising it to his mouth and taking a drink.

He blinked and then holding it up for a bit smiled at Sakura. "Hey, this isn't bad at all." He said.

Sakura laughed. "Welcome to adulthood, Mister Emiya." She said with a grin, and Shirou laughed despite himself.

"Very funny," he said, though there wasn't any malice in it. He took another drink, as did Sakura.

"So," Sakura said. "Tell me about yourself."

"Me?"

"Yeah, or am I talking to someone else?"

"Hmm…well, there's not much to say. I was born and grew up in Japan, though I was an amateur as a…well, an amateur in our line of work until recently. My girlfriend helped me become more professional, and well…here I am."

Shirou paused with a shrug before taking another drink. "Came here with my girlfriend," he said. "Continue my studies, and to keep her company of course. I probably won't be as good as many others, but hey, I'll just do all I can as best I can. No shame in that, is there?"

"No, it's a good work ethic." Sakura said with a nod. "Girlfriend, huh…Rin Tohsaka, right?"

"Yeah…she's my girlfriend."

Sakura smiled and nodded, running a finger gently along the rim of her glass before taking a drink. "It's a bit barebones though, your answer that is." She pointed out.

"Oh…really? You think so?"

"Yes." Sakura said with a nod. "It's understandable though, especially in our line of work. Don't let too much slip and all that."

"Right…sorry…"

"No, it's fine." Sakura said with a wave of a hand. "Still, I'm rather curious. So…how about a trade?"

"A trade?"

"Yes," Sakura said. "I tell you about myself, and then you tell me more about yourself."

Shirou stared at Sakura uncertainly for a few moments, and then nodded. "Deal," he said. "So, tell me about yourself, Miss Tee."

"Hmm…well, like you I was born in Japan." Sakura began. "Didn't grow up there though…I think."

"Huh?"

Sakura ignored Shirou's questioning remark, her face wistful as she lost herself in her memories. "I was…an unwanted child." She finally said.

"…what?"

Sakura smiled sadly at Shirou. "In our line of work," she said. "Having more than one child per generation is a waste, isn't it? Since there can only be one. You know what I mean."

"Yeah, I guess I do." Shirou said with a sigh. "It doesn't seem fair, though."

"Life…the world, isn't fair, Mister Emiya."

Shirou sighed again. "Yeah, I know." He admitted.

"Anyway," Sakura continued after a moment and another drink. "I grew up with my family until I was about five. Until then, I didn't really know much less understand what I was. When I did…"

Sakura trailed off to laugh with a touch of bitterness. "I guess I was being stupid." She admitted. "Ran away from home, somehow avoided getting picked up by the police…let's see…I don't really know how long I ended up wandering across my family's home town, though I eventually did end up in the city center, far from the suburbs. Living in a cardboard box in an alley with other beggars."

"I'm sorry."

Sakura glanced at Shirou curiously. "Why?" she asked.

"Why what?"

"Why are you sorry?"

"Well…isn't that…what you should say?"

"Really?" Sakura said. "Personally, I think that's a load of bull. After all, it's not like it's your fault, or you could have done anything about it. The best, and honest thing to say is, these things happen. Especially since when you think about it, it was my own damn fault, running away from home in the first place."

Shirou was speechless for a few moments, and then draining his glass signaled the bartender for another. "I guess so." He said to Sakura. "But…how else do you express sympathy?"

"…point." Sakura said with a tilt of her head. "Going back to my story, I'd probably have frozen or starved to death sooner or later back then, or maybe picked up by the police and returned to my family. Maybe even picked by the _yakuza_ or a street gang of some sort…but that didn't happen."

"What happened instead?"

"My master found me." Sakura said with a fond smile. "Well…and I'm sure you know, people in our line of work can sense others like us within a certain distance from themselves. Even those without practice like I was would register."

"Yeah…I think I know what you mean."

Sakura nodded. "My master was passing through town at the time." She said. "And as she was walking down the street, she noticed me and came closer. She was just curious, I guess, as why else would a filthy little beggar girl draw her attention. I captured her attention, so she picked me up and that was that. Nothing I could have done about it anyway."

"…sounds a bit like kidnapping to me."

Sakura laughed. "Maybe," she admitted.

Shirou took a drink. "And then what?" he asked. "Even if you caught your master's interest, I don't think she'd have made you an apprentice straight away."

"Of course not," Sakura said. "That was a long way off. She did have me cleaned up though, and gave me something to eat."

"And then?"

"She satisfied her curiosity." Sakura said. "And no, I'm not telling you what it involves. For one thing, it's personal. Too…revealing, of what I can do."

Shirou tilted his head. "Fair enough." He said. "And?"

"It took a bit of a while before master was satisfied." Sakura continued. "After that…well, I suppose you could say master didn't really have any more interest in me, but she didn't want to just leave a little girl to fend for herself either. So…she decided to see if I could be useful. Starting by having me be a gopher for her."

Shirou choked on his drink. "A what?" he asked.

"A gopher." Sakura said. "Essentially I ran errands and did chores for her. Pick this up, get this, get that, put that there, help me cook, clean, wash and all that. It was all I could do until I managed to learn a bit more, after which I became an assistant."

"…what's the difference?"

"I did household stuff and little mundane things as a gopher." Sakura said. "As an assistant, I could help out with more complex things, though nothing of our…business, until a bit further after that."

"Then you became her apprentice?"

"No, I became a student." Sakura said. "I wasn't taught any of master's trade secrets, just…the things all of us know and should be capable of doing, at least within our individual abilities and limits. I became her apprentice only after…well, that's personal. I'll tell you once we know each other better…and with some more privacy."

Sakura winked at Shirou, and then gestured for a refill and asked for a glass of water as well. "Make that two glasses of water, please." Shirou said before adjusting his collar. "The alcohol's getting to me, I think."

"You get used to it."

"I hope so."

Shirou and Sakura shared a laugh, and then Sakura sighed. "Anyway," she said. "Through all that, master and I…were constantly on the move. Oh we might have stayed in one spot or another for as long as a few months or so, but never more than that. Always a step or more or half ahead of master's enemies. In a way though, that was…a learning experience, in itself. Taught me a lot of things a normal education or training never could have."

"So you don't regret it?"

"Not one bit."

Shirou thought about it for a bit, but while it didn't completely sit well, he decided he had no right to judge. "So…when did things settle down?" he asked.

"I'd say about three years ago." Sakura said. "The Association finally decided to cut its losses and offered to end the chase, if only master would come back. Master of course didn't take it at face value, but after plenty of checks through her connections…we came back. Since I was an apprentice, I was allowed into the Association…and here I am."

"So you are." Shirou agreed. "That was quite the life's journey."

"Yes, it was." Sakura agreed, and taking a drink. "So…now that I've told you all that…it's your turn. Won't you tell me, Mister Emiya, about your life's journey so far?"

* * *

A/N

Wow, that was a long chapter. I surprise myself sometimes.

 _Magnum opus_ literally means 'great work'. It's a piece of work produced by an apprentice, originally going back to the medieval craft guilds, as proof of mastery of their craft. Assessed by their master and a board of other masters, if it passes then they themselves are recognized as a master of their craft, and the apprenticeship is deemed complete and successful. If not…then apprenticeship continues.


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Alea Iacta Est

Chapter 3

"My life's journey…?" Shirou echoed before chuckling and nodding. "I guess it's only fair. Let's see…"

Shirou paused to take a drink. "Like you," he began. "I was born in Japan, and spent most of my life so far there."

"No, really?"

"Yes, really!"

Shirou and Sakura shared a laugh at that. "Anyway," Shirou continued. "I was born to an ordinary family. Yes, just an ordinary, everyday, Japanese family. Nothing like us now, nothing special about them at all…at least as far as I know. Maybe I'm descended from some long-dead clan of our kind, or some outcast…maybe one or both of my parents unknowingly had…potential, which I then inherited…or more likely, I'm just that rare, one in a million Human with potential born to ordinary people."

"Hmm…" Sakura hummed, tapping her fingers on the bar. "The probability's actually much big bigger than that, but…let's not get into that. So…first-generation, I see."

"That's right." Shirou said with a nod. "Is there a problem?"

"Oh, not at all." Sakura said. "Others might have though. But again, let's not get into that."

"Fair enough."

"So…how'd you get into our line of work?" Sakura asked. "I mean…if your family wasn't one of us, then how'd you know? About what you can do, how to do it, and where to take it? How'd you meet Luvia, or Rin Tohsaka for that matter?"

"…about that," Shirou said with a sad smile on his face. "Yeah…if it weren't for what happened back then, I probably wouldn't have learned about…the moonlit world, or the things we can do. I'd probably have grown up an ordinary person, with ordinary dreams, and be living an ordinary life right now. Wouldn't have met so many people…and so many wonderful people in particular…"

Shirou trailed off with a fond smile and a distant look on his face. Sakura let him indulge his recollections for several long moments, and taking a drink of water to freshen herself spoke up. "So…" she began. "What happened back then? What changed your life?"

Shirou blinked, and then glanced at Sakura before coughing. "Sorry about that," he said. "I kind of spaced out back there. Anyway…I…my entire family was caught in the Fuyuki Great Fire about eleven years ago or so. My parents died, and me…well, somehow I managed to survive. Walked out through the flames…across the ruins…until the rain began to fall on the next day…"

Shirou trailed off, looking down at the bar before taking a drink. "I…" Sakura began. "I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything." Shirou reassured her with a smile. "So…the rain began to fall, and after everything that had happened…well, they just all caught up with me at that moment. A seven-year old boy couldn't possibly handle all that…and shouldn't have to. I'd probably have died, and would have let myself die…lying on the ground like that, freezing as the cold rain fell and sucked the heat and life out of my body…"

Shirou paused again, and took another drink. "But then…" he said with a smile. "I met him."

"Who?"

"My father, Kiritsugu Emiya."

* * *

"Kiritsugu…Emiya…" Sakura slowly echoed, her eyes widening. She knew that name, and inwardly gasped as she realized the boy in front of her was the son of the dreaded and supposedly long-dead Magus Killer. How had she not realized it sooner? It wasn't as though he had hidden who he was, or rather his name, Shirou _Emiya_.

 _How the hell did I miss that?_

 _The name was practically bouncing around me all this time!_

 _Shit, shit, shit! I'm getting soft if I'm missing cues like this! Back then, I'd have noticed it in an instant!_

 _…_

 _…_

 _…the Clock Tower's getting to me. I need to get out a bit, sharpen my senses back to when master and I had been on the run, and up until we joined the Clock Tower. If not…I…_

Unaware of Sakura's internal monologue, Shirou continued. "Yes." He said with a nod. "Kiritsugu Emiya…he found me there, lying in the mud and under the rain. He saved me, used what he knew and could do to give me a chance to live, and what he couldn't do the hospital could. And then, when we confirmed my parents' death…he adopted me. Gave me his name, and when he found out I had potential, taught me what little he could."

" _I see._ " Sakura thought. " _So he's the Magus Killer's stepson. And while he downplays what he's been taught, even if the Magus Killer was just a spell-caster, there's no reason for the man to have not passed on what he'd known and could do to his son and heir. Combine that with what Rin's been teaching him…_ "

Sakura briefly closed her eyes while letting her thoughts trail away, and then took a drink to help regain her composure. " _Did the Magus Killer have a crest?_ " Sakura wondered. " _It's almost impossible for someone who isn't a blood relative to inherit a crest, but it's not actually impossible. So if he did have a crest…he might have passed it on. I'm going to have to look into this some more._ "

As Sakura set her thoughts in order, Shirou continued to speak. "…he died," he said. "He passed on his dreams to me. And while I know it's…probably, not possible to turn into reality, I'll do what I can as best I can to do just that. It won't be easy, but that doesn't matter: I won't give up."

Shirou paused to take a drink. "Besides," he said, glancing at Sakura and winking. "Chasing after the impossible is what we do, isn't it?"

Sakura blinked, and then smiling, nodded. "I suppose it is." She admitted. "Though, this was some time ago, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, it's been years since then." Shirou admitted. "Time passes…but while things and people change with the times, some things never do."

"Oh?"

"I haven't given up yet," Shirou said with a determined smile. "And I never will."

Sakura stared for a long moment, and then smiling patted him on an arm. "That's a good way to think." She said. "No, really…because the moment you start wondering if you should give up, then you already have on the inside."

Sakura paused and then winked at Shirou. "At least," she continued. "That's what I've heard."

The two magi shared a laugh at that. "You don't believe in that saying?" Shirou asked.

"No," Sakura said. "Too…pure, for reality. Anyone, no matter who, will always feel doubt at one or more points in their lives over what they're aiming for, be it short-term or long-term. To face those doubts and deal with them, one way or another, is just part of being Human."

"I see."

"Purity of intent is ridiculous, anyway." Sakura said with a sigh. "To me, it smacks of a crusader mentality, a…fanatical, belief that whatever one does will always be right, or will succeed no matter what."

"Do you really think so?"

"Yes." Sakura said with a nod. "Doubts are like fear, no, they're exactly the same. They're not something we should avoid, since they're actually helpful to us. They give us perspective, sharpen our senses and perception, and allow us to notice things we might not have noticed otherwise."

"True courage isn't the absence of fear, but overcoming it." Shirou quoted, and Sakura chuckled.

"Well, aren't you the unexpected philosopher?"

"I have my moments." Shirou said, and he and Sakura shared another laugh.

"So…back to the main topic, what did you do after your father died?" Sakura asked. "In particular, how'd training go without someone to supervise?"

"Slowly," Shirou said with a sigh. "And with a lot of mistakes, including ones that could have gone really badly. Now that I think about it, I owe Rin a _lot_. I wonder if I should buy her a cake or something to show my appreciation…"

Shirou thoughtfully trailed off for several moments, and then blinked and coughed. "Anyway," he continued. "Things were rather peaceful until last year. And then…"

"Heaven's Feel?" Sakura offered, and Shirou nodded.

"Yeah," he said. "The Fifth…Heaven's Feel. I…actually didn't know about it. What it was, what it was supposed to do, how it worked…I didn't know any of that. Dad never told me."

"…what happened?"

Shirou didn't answer at once, but after a few moments he shrugged. "Got dragged into the war by accident," he said. "Nearly died too but…I got lucky. Lucky and…there was someone, good, nearby."

"Oh?"

Again, Shirou didn't answer at once. "I got the Saber." He said while drinking some water. "Eventually I formed an alliance with Rin…we fought together, risked our lives together…got closer in the process…"

Shirou paused to smile and laugh mockingly, apparently at himself. "Sometimes I think she's too good for me." He said with a sigh. "She's had to help get myself up to speed, and to shake off bad habits and stop repeating past mistakes before they get me killed…and when all is said and done, she's a genius. Really…and I'm just an average, no, barely average even, beginner."

"Is that regret?"

"No…it's doubt." Shirou said before smirking at Sakura. "Weren't you the one who said that doubt wasn't a bad thing?"

"So I did." Sakura said, smirking back. "Snapping back, aren't we? Not bad, Mister Emiya. Not bad at all."

"I try."

"So you do."

"There's no reason for Rin and I to give up on each other." Shirou eventually said. "As long as we're happy with each other, and neither of us is holding the other back, then we should do all we can to make things work between us. Better than giving up because of some vague questions coming between us, and regretting it later on. Regretting…and possibly not able to do anything about it because it's already too late. That's how these things usually go."

Sakura snorted. "Sounds like something from a cheap romance novel," she remarked before taking a drink. "But…sometimes, fiction can be surprisingly and terrifyingly accurate."

"Yeah," Shirou nodded. "It can."

Sakura glanced at him, but Shirou said nothing.

 _Well…he did fight in a Holy Grail War. For all that Servants are technically just limited copies of actual Heroic Spirits, they're still impossibly-accurate replicas of legends which profoundly changed the world and the course of Human history._

 _Fighting alongside or against beings like those…I'm sure he understands what I said very well. Legends are supposed to be fiction after all…but Heroic Spirits as Servants, turn fiction into terrifying reality._

"Want to get something to eat?" Sakura finally offered. "In hindsight, we should have eaten dinner before having all that alcohol."

Shirou chuckled and nodded. "And who was rushing to get us here?" he asked.

"I was not rushing." Sakura said primly while getting up. "I was…anticipatory."

"Right…let's go with that." Shirou said with a laugh, before following Sakura with his eyes as she walked away. "Where are you going?"

"Paying our bill."

"Oh…wait, I…"

"No, it's fine." Sakura said. "Drinks are on me tonight. Though, do you still want dinner?"

"…something light and hot would be nice, to help settle the stomach." Shirou said after a moment. "I'm feeling a bit…bloated, or something right now."

"I see…sorry about that."

"No, it's fine."

Sakura nodded. "Then," she said. "I'll go pay the bill, and then we can be off. Let's continue our conversation over dinner."

"That sounds good." Shirou replied with a nod, and then Sakura strode off.

* * *

Shirou sighed as he sat back in his seat at the café, and replaced the steaming mug of coffee back on its saucer on the table before him. Relaxing for a few moments, Shirou then reached out for his roast beef sandwich, and taking a bite, chewed and swallowed while returning the rest of the sandwich to his plate.

"Sorry," Sakura apologized. "Maybe I pushed too much…"

"No, it's fine." Shirou said with a reassuring smile. "I could have said 'no', after all. If you're at fault, then so am I."

"Hmm…is it really alright?"

"Yes, it is."

Sakura sighed, and then nodded. "Alright then," she said. Taking her own sandwich – tuna – Sakura took a bite, chewed while replacing the sandwich on its plate, and then swallowed before taking a drink of her own coffee. "So…Heaven's Feel…where were we?"

"Hmm? Oh right, right…let's see…"

Shirou thought for a few moments before nodding. "So…yeah, me and Rin." He said. "We were allies during the war, risking our lives and fighting together, and getting closer the whole while. Outside of that though…well, to be honest, the hardest Servant to beat was Caster. Funny, the Caster Class is supposed to be among the weakest two of the seven Servants, but she turned out to be the most dangerous."

"Well…even if they are weak on paper, Casters are still Heroic Spirits." Sakura ventured. "They're still not to be taken lightly. Plus, as far as I know, Casters are typically magi with access to and mastery of mysteries lost to or unusable by modern magi. Considering what 'miracles' are supposed to be…"

Shirou nodded slowly. "Yeah, I see your point." He said. "We really should have been more careful. Especially when the Caster in question was _Medea_ in life."

Sakura's mouth fell open. "Medea?" she echoed. "The legendary witch of Greek myth?"

Shirou nodded in confirmation. "And?" Sakura continued after a few moments. "How did you manage to pull it off? Defeating a magus from the Age of Gods, someone who stands on the same level as a magician?"

"She got overconfident." Shirou said after a few moments. "Archer shot her and her Master in the back."

"…that's…ruthless…" Sakura conceded.

"It was." Shirou admitted. "A bit cruel too…"

"Huh?"

"No, it's nothing." Shirou said, returning to his dinner. Sakura did likewise, and for the next few minutes the two magi focused on their meal. Eventually though, Sakura stirred the conversation back to life.

"What about the other Servants?" she asked.

"Hmm…hey wait…are we really talking about this in…?"

Sakura laughed. "A bit late to bring it up, isn't it?" she asked. "But don't worry. I placed a bounded field around our table here."

"Oh, I see." Shirou said before giving a cough. "Okay…let's see…other Servants. Saber was my Servant, though I already told you that. King Arthur…she disappeared…"

"Wait…" Sakura began incredulously. "King Arthur…as in the Once and Future King…you know, legendary King of Britain with Excalibur…"

"Yes and yes."

"…and…what do you mean by 'she'? Don't you mean 'he'?"

"No, 'she'." Shirou said. "King Arthur was actually a woman, though she hid her gender otherwise she wouldn't have been accepted by the nobles at the time. Yeah, it doesn't sit right with me, but…it was a different time, I guess. And it's not like it got in the way of her ruling, so…"

Shirou trailed off with a shrug. Sakura stared. Shirou stared back. "You're joking, right?" Sakura asked.

"No," Shirou said unhappily. "I'm completely serious. Why would I joke about this?"

"Okay…" Sakura slowly said, rubbing her temples and then taking a big drink of her coffee. "Let's…move on…disappeared after the war, you said?"

"Yeah…"

"And…what wish…did…they make?"

Shirou looked away briefly. "That's…private…" he answered evasively, and after a moment Sakura tilted her head.

"I suppose I can accept that." She conceded. "Professional courtesy, and all that."

Shirou nodded gratefully. "As for the other Servants…" he continued. "There was Rider, though we never figured out his true identity before he was killed. The first Servant to die in the war too, and we're not exactly sure who killed him either. Lancer was Cu Chulainn…Rin told me he and his Master killed each other over a disagreement…"

"Seriously?"

Shirou nodded. "No reason for Rin to lie." He pointed out.

"True,"

"Berserker was Hercules…Archer killed him by simply bombarding him with projectiles, and once he was worn and pinned down, cut him down."

"…Hercules as Berserker?"

Shirou looked on as Sakura crossed her arms and closed her eyes in thought. Finally, after several moments she opened her eyes. "Whoever summoned Berserker must have been an idiot, then." She finally said. "While Hercules is qualified for the Berserker Class, it's a very poor fit, and based purely on Hercules' superhuman strength…which isn't even his greatest strength."

"It isn't?"

"The myth says that Hercules was as strong as a hundred men." Sakura said. "But it's what the myth doesn't say that's really important. Hercules was an incredibly-skilled archer, and more than that, he was very intelligent. A bit too kind for his own good, but very perceptive and intelligent for all that."

Sakura paused, and took a drink of water. "Put another way," she said. "I suppose you can consider yourselves lucky that Hercules was summoned as a Berserker. If he'd been summoned as Archer, you'd be dead."

"…really?"

Sakura smiled at Shirou. "Re-read his myth." She suggested. "Come to your own conclusions."

Shirou frowned and briefly looked away, but coming to a conclusion of his own nodded. "When I have the time," he said. "I might just do that."

Sakura nodded while Shirou took a drink. "Let's see…ah yes, Archer." He said. "Archer…there were…problems, with his summoning, so we never did figure out who he was. He died fighting against Caster."

"…but, didn't he kill…mutual annihilation?"

Shirou fidgeted uncomfortably. "You could say that." He said, and Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"Alright…I suppose I should let go of this line of questioning…though it's really curious how a Heroic Spirit could even forget who he was, if that's what you were implying."

Shirou laughed nervously but said nothing more. "What about Assassin though?" Sakura asked.

"Sasaki Kojiro."

"Never heard of him."

"He's a fairly famous samurai, a rival of Miyamoto Musashi, if I remember right."

"I know that one."

"I'm sure you do." Shirou said. "He – Assassin, that is – was killed by Saber."

"…that accounts for all the Servants." Sakura conceded. "And the Masters? You mentioned that Caster's Master was killed by Archer, and that Lancer and his Master killed each other. There's you and Rin Tohsaka…but what about the other three Masters?"

"Archer killed both Berserker and Assassin's Masters." Shirou said. "As for Rider's…"

Shirou paused and sighed. "It was a hard fight." He said. "And one I don't want to talk about. He was…my friend, once. Even now…I still think of him as one, no matter what he became in the end. And from what Rin tells me, he likely had no choice in what happened to him either."

"…but…didn't you say Rider…"

Sakura trailed off, and sighing, shook her head. "Sorry," she apologized. "I can see it's a private matter. I won't pry…unless you decide to tell me eventually in the future."

 _I might be able to figure it out on my own anyway, once the records office forwards what I requested from them._

Shirou nodded thankfully, not knowing what thoughts were going through Sakura's head.

* * *

"Well, this is the end for the night, I think."

Sakura and Shirou stood at one corner of an intersection not far from the Clock Tower's main entrance. "It is?" Shirou asked.

"Luvia said once I'd finished showing you around, you didn't need to go back and attend to her tonight." Sakura said. "Of course if you want you may…but I would think you'd prefer to go back home to your girlfriend, yes?"

"…that could have been worded better."

Sakura blinked, and then noticing chuckled. "Yes," she admitted. "It could have been."

Shirou nodded. "Will you be alright by yourself, though?" he asked. "I could walk you home…wherever that is."

"I appreciate the offer, but I can take care of myself you know." Sakura said. "I _am_ a former fugitive who was able to avoid getting caught for years, after all. And besides, London is a pretty safe city."

"True on all counts but…"

"And most important of all," Sakura interrupted. "Do you want to be seen walking another woman home?"

"…is…is that really a problem?"

Sakura leaned in. "People can be quite gullible, Mister Emiya." She said. "And gossip and rumors all too…easy, for people to believe in and blow out of proportion."

"Then…spending the night with you…"

"That can be hand-waved away as running an errand for Luvia." Sakura said dismissively. "Accompanying me to my house though…want to risk breaking your girlfriend's heart?"

"…no, I don't."

Shirou sighed and nodded. "Alright," he said. "I guess this is goodbye and goodnight for now. I did enjoy the night out with you though, Miss Tee. So…thank you."

Sakura smiled, and held out a hand. Shirou blinked, and then smiling back took Sakura's hand and shook it. "Well then," Sakura said. "I'll be going. See you around, Mister Emiya."

Shirou nodded. "Take care, Miss Tee." He said.

"You as well."

And with that, Sakura turned and left down the street. Shirou stared after her until she vanished out of sight, and then with a deep breath looked around before heading home himself.

* * *

"Can you believe this shit?"

"Language, Luvia." Francoise chided. "What is it?"

"No records." Luvia snapped. "No records on what that Tohsaka bint wished for with the Holy Grail."

"…that's not so unusual." Francoise countered after some thought (and reading through the scattered papers on the table). "The records office is fairly comprehensive, especially when you consider how secretive magi are, but even they have limits. And to be honest, I'm more concerned about this…flesh golem, mentioned in the report, which went on rampage towards the end of the war."

"Ah…the flesh golem…" Sakura said. "I have my suspicions about that."

"Oh?" Francoise asked with a raised eyebrow. "Do tell."

"During my…rendezvous, with Mister Emiya the other night," Sakura replied. "He mentioned something happened to Rider's Master during the war. He didn't give details, and I don't know him well enough to pry, but I quote, "He was…my friend, once. Even now…I still think of him as one, no matter what he became in the end. And from what Rin tells me, he likely had no choice in what happened to him either." The key points there are that _something_ …unfortunate, happened to Rider's Master. And guess what, according to the dossiers on the Masters of last year's Heaven's Feel, Rider's Master, Shinji Matou, is missing. No information on where he is, or what happened to him."

"But…" Vier began. "The dossiers mention Tohsaka and Emiya, and indeed…here, there are transcripts of the reports they, well the former, submitted on request from the records office, with regard to the progression of last year's Heaven's Feel ritual. All per her responsibilities as Second Owner, of course."

"So…Tohsaka withheld information?" Francoise asked.

"Possibly," Luvia said. "Though it's not exactly unknown. It happens, regularly enough that the Association is more likely to look the other way even if we brought it up. Not that we have reason to right now."

"But in the future…?"

"Perhaps,"

"Do you think you can pry what they're holding back from Mister Emiya, Luvia?" Sakura asked.

"I might." Luvia admitted. "But…from the sound of things, it'll be a touchy topic. So I'll have to do it carefully, and ease into it. And I have to keep the fact that you were the one who found this avenue of questioning through your rendezvous the other night away from him, or poor Shero will stop trusting us."

"Poor…Shero…really?" Sakura asked skeptically.

"Yes," Luvia said without flinching. "Poor Shero, always having to put up with that dreadful hag, Rin Tohsaka."

"…I am not sure if we're supposed to take that seriously or not…"

"Going back to the flesh golem though," Francoise said. "Based on the report it was quite massive, and needed a direct hit from an A-rank Anti-Army Noble Phantasm to take down. What the hell was that thing made of?"

"Flesh."

"Very funny,"

"Well," Sakura said. "Until we have some actual evidence or witness accounts, all we can do is assume. Personally, given what Mister Emiya said, I think the flesh golem was the result of a botched ritual of some sort, held by the Matou Clan to still try and win the war at the end despite having lost their Servant early on."

"The Matou Clan…" Luvia echoed. "Those nobodies are nothing but has-been magi. How could they have done that? How could they even participate in the war?"

"As far as I know their patriarch is still alive." Sakura said. "He could have done something."

"And this Shinji Matou?"

"The last, gasping, ember of the clan?"

"…possibly…"

"No guesses as to what they would have wished for if they'd won though." Vier said while handing the rearranged dossier back to Luvia across the table. "It is rather pathetic and pitiful though, that they have to resort to gambling on a wish machine to regain the ability to use magecraft again."

"Of course it is." Luvia sniffed. "Did you expect better?"

"…I suppose I did. In hindsight, waste of time, yes?"

"Yes, it was."

"On another note," Francoise began. "I'm surprised no one's been penalized for the whole rampage of that flesh golem. It was something quite visible, though admittedly early in the morning, before the Sun rose. And what witnesses were all mind-wiped by Tohsaka soon after…those that didn't get killed by the golem, that is."

"The damage couldn't be covered up, though." Luvia said. "Still a mystery to this day, according to the dossier."

"Well, that's probably why." Sakura said. "As long as anyone who doesn't need to know doesn't find any leads, it's no problem at all. They'll eventually move on and forget about it, and the whole matter will probably just go away or turn into an urban legend."

"There is that, I suppose."

"In any case though," Vier said. "Assumptions will only carry us so far, and if we get too fixated on them, we'll only get frustrated and ruin the day. So…how about this? We agree to look into the matter further, if only to satisfy Luvia and – to a lesser extent – Sakura, but there's also no need to rush that. For now, we – or rather Luvia – will try and get some more information from Shero on what happened, and depending on what and how much we get, we'll decide what to do next. Is that alright?"

Everyone stared at Vier who just beamed at them. "You have no real interest in this, do you?" Francoise asked.

"Perhaps…"

Luvia sighed. "She does have a point though." She said. "We can only do so much now, and getting impatient is only going to ruin the day. So, I say we agree to Vier's suggestion, and move on to the next topic."

"No problem."

"I have no problems with that."

Vier beamed even wider at her friends' agreement.

* * *

A/N

Well, Shirou and Sakura's date turned out longer than I expected it would be. I was tempted to have Rin catch Sakura and Shirou _in flagrante delicto_ , resulting in a scene, drama, and everything that comes with that…but it didn't seem to fit. And it's too early for a reunion, anyway.

Some hints on what happened during this timeline's Fifth Holy Grail War. Very similar to UBW, though with some – crueler – differences.


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Alea Iacta Est

Chapter 4

 _Sakura climbed up what looked like an endless stairway, reaching up into impenetrable darkness. Down below however, faint light glowed through what seemed to be fog, dim but warm and welcoming, a sharp contrast to the forbidding darkness above._

 _Sakura continued to climb, one step after another. Though she couldn't remember when she'd started climbing, or why she was climbing at all, she kept on going, somehow just knowing that to stop or to go back would…_

 _…would what, exactly?_

 _And where was the stairway going anyway?_

 _As though triggered by the question, a ramp appeared out of the darkness, branching off the stairway and gently sloping back down to the warmth and light below. A cloaked and hooded figure stood next to the ramp. "You sure you want to keep climbing up this stairway?" it asked in an androgynous voice as Sakura approached. "The Endless Stair might seem to lead up…but it could also be leading down. You could be heading to hell, just as you might be heading to heaven. You might as well go back now, just take this ramp here. At least with that I can guarantee you'd be heading for neither heaven nor hell."_

 _Sakura glanced at the figure, staring deep into the darkness beneath its hood, trying to discern any sign of its identity at all, but to no avail. There was only impenetrable darkness…like that which shrouded her destination._

 _Sakura ignored the offer and continued to climb, passing the figure and the ramp in silence. It stayed silent as she did so, and climbed further and further away, shrinking and disappearing from sight as Sakura climbed higher._

 _"Humph," the figure scoffed just as it reached the limit of Sakura's hearing. "Fine, be that way. Fall deeper into darkness, see if I care."_

 _Sakura ignored it, and as the echoes vanished into the dark, finally spoke. 'Stupid statue." She muttered._

Sakura opened her eyes at the harsh beeping of her alarm clock, and scrambling about, pulled an arm free of her sheets and slammed it down on top of the clock which thankfully fell silent. "What the hell was that?" she muttered, closing her eyes and running a hand over her face. She snoozed for a few more minutes, and then grumbling incoherently forced herself up.

Yawning and stretching, Sakura staggered out of bed, wandering over to her window and pulling her curtains open. Squinting at the bright morning light, Sakura rubbed at her eyes and let them adjust, before staring out the windows at the working class neighborhood her apartment was in. Brick and tile townhouses and apartments marched up and down the street, smoke and steam rising from exhaust pipes poking up from the roofs.

Delivery trucks rumbled up and down the street, along with the occasional bike or motorcycle or vehicle, past parked cars and pedestrians: men in suits, schoolchildren in uniforms of various cuts, or just people in casual attire. Sakura stared at her neighborhood for a few moments before she yawned again, and stepping away from the window wandered out of her bedroom into her living room cum dining room, and through there into the adjoining kitchen.

"Let's see…what's the date today…?" Sakura muttered while grabbing a pen and moving to cross out the date on the calendar pinned to one wall of her kitchen. And then she blinked, and stared at the small note pinned on the date today.

'Art Auction', it read.

Sakura blinked again, and then her eyes widened as her mind finally woke up in full.

"OH NO, I FORGOT!"

* * *

Rin rolled in her sleep, shifting under the sheets and causing them to rub in a pleasing fashion against her nude body. The luxurious sensation caused her to smile and smack her lips in her sleep.

"Mm…I can't eat anymore…" she mumbled, curling up with a smile. "Chocolate pudding…"

Shirou leaned over Rin, and gently began to shake her awake. "Rin," he said softly. "Wake up Rin."

Rin blinked awake, and sleepily glanced at Shirou who smiled down at her. "Good morning." He said.

Rin stared, and then closing her eyes curled up tighter and pulled the sheets over her head. "Hey!" Shirou said, insistently shaking Rin. "Don't go back to sleep!"

"Go away." Rin mumbled. "Let me sleep some more."

"Ignoring the fact it's a school…well, work day," Shirou said in exasperation. "We have somewhere to be today, don't we? So I can't really do that."

"Somewhere to be?"

"Art auction, remember?"

There was a moment of silence. "Art auction?" Rin echoed.

"Yes."

Again, there was a moment of silence. And then with a yell, Rin threw herself out of bed. "OH NO!" she shouted as she got up to her feet, having literally fallen out of bed, and then fell again as she tripped on a sheet caught around an ankle. "I overslept!"

"Not…really…" Shirou while helping her get to her feet. "I woke you early enough for that, and you still have enough time to get ready while I finish cooking breakfast."

"Yeah, thanks for that!" Rin said, running over to her closet and pulling out clothes and fresh underwear in a hurry. "And stop staring, you pervert!"

"…and you don't?"

"…fine. I'll take a bath now, is that alright?"

"Uh…sure, why not?"

Without another word, Rin rushed out of the bedroom she shared with Shirou, running to the bathroom to take a shower and to do any of the other things which made up her morning ritual. Sighing indulgently to himself, Shirou picked up the sheets spilled on the ground, and rearranging them on the bed left the bedroom himself to go and finish preparing breakfast.

* * *

A taxi roared up a busy street to come to a screeching halt in front of a large, Neo-Classical building. "Keep the change!" Sakura said, pressing a hundred pound note into the hand of the grinning driver. "And thanks for making it quick!"

Ignoring the driver's cheerful response, Sakura rushed up the stairs leading to the entrance, inwardly cursing at how hard it was to run in high heels. " _Guess I should have worn leather shoes today._ " She thought darkly as she swept through the front doors.

"I beg your pardon," a uniformed usher said, walking up to Sakura as she rushed through the foyer. "But, perhaps I may be of assistance, my lady?"

Sakura pulled out the ticket for the auction and gave it to the usher, before tugging at her damp, barely-holding together curls. Hopefully, they'd fare better once they dried, but…

"I know the auction's started," Sakura said. "But the Art Nouveau category hasn't been brought up yet, has it?"

"Well no," the usher said apologetically. "However, I must inform you and I truly apologize, but we maintain a strict, closed doors policy with regard to events. That is, once an event begins, we do not allow latecomers to participate. I must ask for your understanding and cooperation…"

The usher trailed off as Sakura stared coldly at him. "You don't need to apply that policy to me." She said, prana burning through her magic circuits.

The man's eyes went blank. "I…don't…need…to apply…said policy…" he echoed numbly.

"You will escort me to me and my friends' reserved seating."

"I will…escort you…to your…friends'…reserved seats." He said. "This way…please."

Sakura smirked with satisfaction. "Much better." He said. "Lead on."

"Yes, my lady." The usher said, blinking and rubbing his head in confusion while leading Sakura across the foyer, up the grand staircase, through a set of corridors, and held open a door for her.

"Thank you." Sakura said while entering the box.

Bodyguards in suits looked at her warily but Sakura just ignored them and passed through their ranks to the set of seats placed looking down into the amphitheater below. As if mere thugs could ever intimidate her. A single word from her would have them dying from cardiac arrest without their employers' intervention.

"You are late." Luvia said, looking down into the amphitheater through a pair of brass opera glasses.

"I overslept." Sakura said, simply reinforcing her eyes instead, focusing on the auctioneer taking bids for a Neo-Classical painting of the Three Graces bathing in a mountain spring.

"I was under the impression they didn't let latecomers participate here."

"They were…persuaded, to make an exception."

Luvia and the other girls giggled. "I'm sure they were." Luvia said. "Well, I'm sure you know how this goes. As I recall, your master has _quite_ the reputation when it comes to participating in auctions herself. And I'm sure you learned from her example…for better or worse."

"…I suppose I can't deny any of that."

There was another wave of laughter at that.

* * *

Shirou yawned heavily from where he was sitting next to Rin on the ground-level seats. "Bored, Shirou?" Rin asked.

"…no…"

"Liar," Rin said with a smile. "Not really into art, are you?"

"I wouldn't say that." Shirou said defensively. "I can and do appreciate good art, like say…in a museum, or an exhibition, things like that. But like this…or how value is partly decided by what school of art a piece is made in…yeah, I'm not really into it. Don't get me wrong though, I understand why that kind of thing is important, not all that different from the schools of swordsmanship and martial arts when you think about it."

"Hmm," Rin hummed in agreement. "Yeah, I see what you mean. But, since you understand how and why it's important, then…what do you think? About having at least general knowledge of that kind of thing?"

"…it's not bad, I suppose."

Rin chuckled. "Then," she continued. "You wouldn't mind taking say…three units, in Art Appreciation, at least? That should be enough for a respectable degree of general knowledge about the schools of art."

Shirou sighed, but there was no venom in it. "Yes, yes," he said. "Though let's take a look at my schedule first before making any more decisions than that, alright?"

"Fair enough."

"Good." Shirou said with a nod. For several more minutes and two pieces put up for sale, the couple silently observed, and then Shirou spoke up. "Are you actually going to buy something?"

"Maybe yes, maybe no," Rin said cheerfully, and prompting Shirou to stare at her. "Art's value to people lies in the fact that it…enriches, your heart. But, every piece tells a different story from the others. Just like how people can like one story and not like another, it's the same with art. Art can't enrich your heart when they repel each other. They have to…fit, and by working together write a story more beautiful than they could ever do on their own."

Shirou stared at Rin, while Rin stared back with a smile. Finally, Shirou smiled back before turning back to the stage. "You're a poet." He said. "I didn't know that."

Rin chuckled, and also turned back to the stage. "No," she disagreed. "I'm just sentimental, that's all. As for not knowing…well, that's just part of a healthy relationship, isn't it? Learning all about each other over time?"

"Yes, it is I guess." Shirou agreed before glancing at Rin. "It's my first relationship after all, so…I'm still learning as it goes."

Rin nodded. "Likewise," she said, before taking hold of Shirou's hand and squeezing. Shirou smiled, and squeezed back. "Now then, let's see if we can find a piece of art that tells a story either or both of us want to hear more about, and write a story of our own from."

"Yes, let's."

* * *

"Oh shit," Sakura said, narrowing her eyes from the Edelfelt box. "My older sister is here."

"What?"

Eyes turned to where Rin and Shirou were. "Hey, isn't that…?" Vier began.

"It is." Luvia said flintily before sighing. "It's Shero. And he's with that wretched Tohsaka hag. No offense."

"None taken." Sakura said. "Still…this is a problem. I'd rather not initiate contingencies here and now. Luvia, I need a favor."

"What is it now?"

"Buy me what I want from this auction. I'll pay you back, with interest."

"…I'm listening."

"Ten per cent."

Luvia looked at Sakura with a blank expression on her face. "You're joking, right?" she asked. "Fifty per cent."

"Who's joking here?" Sakura asked back. "Twenty per cent."

"Forty per cent."

"Thirty per cent."

"Twenty-five per cent."

"Deal."

Luvia smirked, and then her eyes widened as Sakura smirked in her turn. Luvia face-palmed at being outmaneuvered, while Sakura whistled innocently, playing with her fedora. "You win some you lose some." Vier philosophically said, and taking a deep breath Luvia nodded.

"True enough."

There were nods all around, and the girls silently continued to watch the proceedings. For a time, at least. Once the Neo-Classical category had been cleaned out, the Realism category was up on stage, and Francoise suddenly became very active.

"…unsigned portrait of Napoleon Bonaparte," the auctioneer was saying. "Starting bid at eight hundred American Dollars, going once, going twice…"

Francoise pressed a button on the box's parapet, signaling the auctioneer that she wanted to place a bid. "One thousand American Dollars for the unsigned portrait of Napoleon Bonaparte," she said into the mike. "By Francoise de la Main d'Argent."

"And that's one thousand American Dollars by Francoise de la Main d'Argent." The auctioneer said. "One thousand American Dollars going once, going twice…

"One thousand, two hundred and fifty American Dollars…" a challenging bid went up, but Francoise refused to give up.

"One thousand, five hundred American Dollars for the unsigned portrait of Napoleon Bonaparte," she said into the mike. "By Francoise de la Main d'Argent."

The bidding continued for a few more minutes, before Francoise finally got the last bid in. "Two thousand, seven hundred, and fifty American Dollars for the unsigned portrait of Napoleon Bonaparte," the auctioneer said. "By Francoise de la Main d'Argent. Two thousand, seven hundred, and fifty American Dollars going once, going twice…sold, to Francoise de la Main d'Argent!"

Francoise looked smugly satisfied. "Congratulations." Luvia said, Vier and Sakura following suit.

"Thank you," Francoise said. "But don't congratulate me just yet. There are still more pieces up for auction."

Ultimately, Francoise and Vier would each spend fifty thousand and thirty thousand American Dollars respectively on various works of realist art, and twice bid against each other. Luvia by then had previously spent seventeen thousand American Dollars on various pieces of Neo-Classical Art, leaving Sakura the only one who hadn't spent anything…either by herself, or by proxy.

As the Impressionist and Expressionist categories were brought up, Luvia would spend another twenty thousand American Dollars, while Francoise and Vier spent another fifteen and ten thousand American Dollars each respectively. Sakura still didn't show any interest in bidding, while below Rin began putting out bids as the Fauvism category gave way to Cubism and Futurism, and ending up spending twenty-eight thousand American Dollars on various works of art.

And then it was Art Nouveau's turn. "…starting bid at five hundred American Dollars…" the auctioneer said.

Luvia glanced at Sakura who nodded, reinforced eyes fixed on a deck of cards spread on a display at the stage, the cards' artwork drawn in the Art Nouveau style. "One thousand American Dollars for the 1899 deck of cards," Luvia said into the mike. "By Luviagelita Edelfelt."

The bidding continued, with Luvia – and thus Sakura – winning with a final bid of one thousand, seven hundred and fifty American Dollars. Next up were more decks, Sakura again bidding and bidding, winning three decks in a row before stopping and letting others get the rest. Then there were a series of biscuit tins and ornamental containers, followed by movie posters. Sakura only obtained one each of the former…but stirred up an upset by aggressively buying _all_ the movie posters, fifty-four alone modeled by the famed French actress Sarah Bernhardt.

"Sakura, you owe me over fifty thousand American Dollars for the posters alone." Luvia said worriedly. "Can you afford that?"

"I'll pay it by installment if I have to." Sakura snapped. "Besides, I need to leave for a bit to sharpen my senses anyway, so I'll be getting some quick cash soon by going after bounty heads."

"…we'll make an Edelfelt out of you just yet."

"Care to make an arrangement for some of those Sarah Bernhardts, Sakura?" Francoise asked.

"Later," Sakura said. "Jewelry's up next."

"Speaking of arrangements," Luvia said. "Since this involves jewelry, we'll have to discuss some between ourselves later."

"Fine…but Rin's down there too, and from the look of things she wants the jewelry too."

"Like hell."

A drama soon developed, as Edelfelt and Tohsaka clashed over jewelry, and leading to a rather…surreal sight for many in the audience, of a modestly-dressed Japanese college student – as she seemed to most of them – trying to outbid a richly-dressed Finnish aristocrat. Just a single silver ring with coral filigree and an amethyst stone which started at a value of one hundred American Dollars quickly rose to a ridiculous figure of two thousand and five hundred American Dollars within a matter of minutes.

"Three thousand American Dollars for the 950 sterling silver ring with coral filigree and amethyst stone, by Luviagelita Edelfelt."

"Three thousand, two hundred and fifty American Dollars for the 950 sterling silver ring with coral filigree and amethyst stone, by Rin Tohsaka."

"Three thousand and five hundred American Dollars for the 950 sterling silver ring with coral filigree and amethyst stone, by Luviagelita Edelfelt."

"Three thousand, seven hundred and fifty American Dollars for the 950 sterling silver ring with coral filigree and amethyst stone, by Rin Tohsaka."

"Four thousand American Dollars for the 950 sterling silver ring with coral filigree and amethyst stone, by Luviagelita Edelfelt."

"Four thousand, two hundred and fifty American Dollars for the 950 sterling silver ring with coral filigree and amethyst stone, by Rin Tohsaka."

"Four thousand and five hundred American Dollars for the 950 sterling silver ring with coral filigree and amethyst stone, by Luviagelita Edelfelt."

"Four thousand, seven hundred and fifty American Dollars for the 950 sterling silver ring with coral filigree and amethyst stone, by Rin Tohsaka."

"Five thousand American Dollars for the 950 sterling silver ring with coral filigree and amethyst stone, by Luviagelita Edelfelt."

As the auctioneer began calling for other bids, Luvia smiled as she saw an agitated Rin being restrained by the perturbed-looking Shirou. " _Thank you, Shero._ " Luvia thought. " _I shall buy you a gift as thanks when next you come to work._ "

After the jewelry had been sold, the auction turned to furniture, at which Sakura lost interest, though Rin and Luvia continued to battle, and Vier and Francoise joined in as well. After furniture were miscellaneous items, Sakura joining in to snap up a number of books and other pieces with ornamentation in the Art Nouveau style.

"So…" Sakura began as the auction came to an end. "How much does it come out to?"

"Not including any items which we might bargain from each other later," Luvia said. "You owe me about a hundred thousand dollars, Sakura."

"I'll pay it back, don't worry." Sakura said before smirking and leaning closer. "And don't tell me you didn't…enjoy it, at the time."

Luvia laughed. "Oh alright," she admitted. "I enjoyed riling up your spoiled brat of an older sister, but that has nothing to do with how much you owe me."

"True…I wonder why I brought it up then."

"…that's…why?"

"Why what?"

"…never mind."

* * *

"…was it worth it?"

"What?"

Rin stared at Shirou as they stood in the foyer, both clutching heavy suitcases carrying what they could carry of what they'd won at the action, with the heavier ones to be delivered by courier to their residence later on. "Was all the money we spent worth what we got?" Shirou asked.

"Of course it is."

Shirou sighed. "Eighty thousand dollars is a lot of money." He mournfully said.

"Shirou, I earn twice that in a month."

"Even so…" Shirou said before trailing off and then looking censoriously at Rin. "You shouldn't let Luvia get to you so much. Really, Rin? Five thousand dollars, on a single ring?"

Rin raised an eyebrow, her expression turning cold. "Oh?" she asked. "Are you saying then that I'm not worth a ring of at least that much value? The nerve…and here I thought we had something! That all the times we spent risking our lives for each other back home during the contest meant something! Fine, be that way!"

With a scoff, Rin disdainfully looked away from a gaping Shirou and strode away with head held high and with an air of injured dignity. Shirou stared after her for a few moments, and then glancing around at the whispers and curious stares all around ran after Rin.

"Hey wait, Rin!" he shouted, quickly catching up and putting a hand on her shoulder. "What's gotten into you? What's with all those things you…"

Shirou turned Rin around, and found himself staring at a catlike smile of mischief. "Got you." She said, before sticking out her tongue.

Shirou groaned and let his head fall into his hands.

* * *

"Can they not flirt in a place like this?" Luvia complained, looking down from the landing at the top of the staircase at Rin and Shirou across the foyer.

"Well, it's not like they're being openly affectionate with each other. Then it becomes a problem."

Francoise rolled her eyes. " _Allemands et Anglais…_ " she muttered. "In Paris people being affectionate in public happens so often that no one remembers a time when they were surprised about it. _Nom d'un nom,_ even my grandparents just get all nostalgic about their youth when they see people our age kissing and holding hands in the open."

"…yeah, but that's Paris." Vier said. "This is London. Different standards and all that."

"Not to mention I'm not even British, I'm _Finnish_." Luvia muttered.

"My apologies…though you do understand what I mean, right?"

"…I suppose I do. Apology accepted."

"By the way," Vier said, looking around and finding their other friend missing. "Where's Sakura?"

"Huh?"

"Huh?"

Luvia and Francoise joined Vier in looking around for Sakura, but could find no trace of their other friend. "Maybe she went to the women's room?" Francoise offered.

"Could be," Luvia said. "But…why didn't she tell us?"

Elsewhere, Sakura disabled a series of security cameras along the hallway leading to the women's room, and walking past stopped next to a fire exit. "See you around, big sister." Sakura muttered before smashing the fire alarm with an elbow. As the fire alarms began to scream, Sakura whistled while opening the fire exit and passing through. Back with Luvia and friends though…

…they looked at each other, and then at Rin and Shirou in the foyer, now filling with people headed for the exits, and then they looked back at each other. And then speaking as one, they said a single name.

"Sakura."

* * *

"Looks like it was just a false alarm, huh?" Shirou said as he and Rin had coffee at a café not far from where the auction had been held. "That's good to hear. That way, no one got hurt, much less had their lives put at risk."

"True," Rin agreed. "Someone probably just accidentally pressed or pulled a fire alarm. Very inconvenient for everyone who got all worked up for nothing…but as you say, compared to an actual fire, an accident like this is actually quite a relief."

Shirou nodded in agreement, before taking a drink himself. For a while, they just sat at their table, drinking coffee, and then Shirou's thoughts wandered back to what Rin had said earlier. She was just pulling his leg, (successfully) trying to get his mind away from all the money they spent in the auction (and her little drama with Luvia) but still…

…perhaps there was something unconsciously said there?

Shirou took a drink of his coffee to bolster his composure, and then set his mug down on its saucer. "About what you said earlier…" he began.

"Huh? What?"

"You know…the ring and well…"

Shirou trailed off, Rin staring at him for several moments before narrowing her eyes, her expression turning serious. "You don't think our relationship is ring-worthy?" she asked, and Shirou met her gaze.

There was nothing on her face or the way she held herself that gave anything way, but her eyes…there was…fragility there. Fear…fear that what they had between them wasn't something to last, and would end one day, sooner or later, one way or another.

Shirou sighed. "Of course it is." He said. "Though…I can't afford to buy you a ring just yet though."

"…w-what?"

"The man should be the one to give the woman a ring, right?"

"Y-y-yes, that's right."

Shirou nodded, and smiling weakly Rin took a deep and long drink of her coffee to hide her blush. " _We're still a long way away from that point._ " Shirou thought to himself, sitting back and looking up at what he could see of the cloudy London sky. " _We still have a lot of work to do before our relationship is actually worth taking that big step to the next level. It shouldn't be rushed, otherwise…_ "

Shirou sighed, and picking up his mug, took a drink of his own. " _Well_ ," he thought. " _One thing at a time, and just do what I can do at present than get worried over what **might** happen in the future. If things don't work out…then…we'll just have to make the best of it. That's all anyone can ask of us…or what we can ask from ourselves._"

* * *

A/N

Rin and Sakura, despite having lived over a decade much further apart from each other than their canon selves did, are still so very alike. Though, Rin has a hardworking boyfriend to make up for her being quite lazy at times.

Rin and Shirou though…relationship issues? No relationship is perfect though, and what matters is how issues are addressed, and if the relationship can get past them. If not…then it just wasn't meant to be.


	6. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Alea Iacta Est

Chapter 5

"Shirou?"

"What is it?"

"Can you do me a favor?"

"Uh, sure. What do you need?"

"I'm working on a mystic code you see." Rin explained while holding up a large piece of paper, on which was drawn what looked like a ring of some sort. The ring had been sectioned, arrows linking it to mathematical and runic diagrams that Shirou could barely wrap his head around. "It's supposed to help magi use those mysteries used by alchemists to perform high-level math by purely mental means, only in this case instead of casting the mysteries on the body and altering the brain's functions as a result, the mystic code will have all that instead. There'll be a mental link similar to that between magus and familiar, but there'll be no real modification."

"So," Shirou began. "What do you need me to do?"

Rin smiled at Shirou and patted him on a shoulder. "Don't worry, I'm not asking you to test out the mysteries, or the mental link, since I'm still working on compartmentalizing the former, and until that's done and the mysteries cast onto the mystic code there'd be no need for the latter. What I need you to test is the suspension function."

"The what?"

"The suspension function." Rin repeated. "The materials I'm working with on this project can be…moderately, dangerous when they come into direct contact with Human skin, at least while the mystic code is active. So, I designed the mystic code to float above a person's head. That's what I want you to test out. That is, if the mystic code can hover safely over a person's head uniformly for an extended period of time."

"Okay, I can do that. I mean it's just going to float there, isn't it?" Shirou said with a smile and a shrug. "And I'm always happy to help for a good cause, so why not?"

Rin didn't say anything, and just leaned in for a quick kiss. "Thanks, it means a lot." She said while pulling back. "Now, sit here, and wait for me while I get the mystic code."

"Okay."

Shirou nodded and sat down on a nearby chair, while Rin rushed off to her workshop. She returned a few minutes later, holding a black iron ring and a tray full of tools of one kind or another. "Now then," she said, placing the ring and the tray on a nearby table. "Here we go."

The ring was opened, Shirou blinking at the crystal ring inside what was clearly a mold in hindsight, about four to six inches across from the look of things. Taking a pair of tongs, Rin carefully lifted the ring from the mold, and held it above Shirou's head.

" _Aktivieren sie die Federungsfunktion._ " Rin said in German, the ring flashing with all the colors of the rainbow before dimming to a dull glow. Rin carefully let the ring go, causing it to repeatedly flicker while bobbing as though delicately balanced on a stick, and then teetering to one side, fell.

Shirou caught it as Rin yelped, managing to keep it hitting the floor and probably breaking as a result. "Thanks." Rin said with a relief, taking the ring with the tongs.

"Looks like it didn't work." Shirou said with a sympathetic smile.

"Yeah…let me check on that in a bit." Rin said while cleaning the ring with a wet cloth. Once that was done, she set the cloth aside, and taking what looked like a magnifying glass held it over the ring while slowly rotating it in her sight. As she did so, she whispered quickly in German, the ring flashing periodically as she performed her examinations and adjustments. "Right…"

"So…how is it?" Shirou asked.

"Well, it's not so much the hover function doesn't work, as much as it needs time to…lock into place." Rin said, setting the ring back down. "I suspected that might happen, though it was a very low probability."

"How low?"

"Between ten and eleven per cent."

"I see…so what do you plan to do about it?"

Rin responded by taking a tape measure, and using it measured the perplexed Shirou's head's circumference. Then taking some paper, she folded it together into a ring the same size as Shirou's head, took an plastic rod and bent one end around the crystal ring and the other around the paper ring. Then she placed the paper ring around Shirou's head, holding the crystal ring over his head. "That'll do." She said with a smile. " _Aktivieren sie die Federungsfunktion._ "

The ring flashed with the colors of the rainbow and then dimmed, but with something holding it in place didn't flicker or bob around this time. "Perfect!" Rin cheered.

"…how long do I have to wear this…ring holder?" an exasperated Shirou asked.

"Hmm…until this evening, I'd say." Rin replied.

Shirou sighed. "It can't be helped, I guess." He said before smiling. "Don't worry, I'm just griping. It's for a good cause, so I'll bear with it."

Rin nodded. "Thanks a lot, Shirou." She said. "It means a lot, really."

Shirou laughed. "I'm sure it does." He said.

"It doesn't feel weird or painful, does it?" Rin asked.

"No, not really." Shirou said. "I mean…it's kind of…distracting, having this ring over my head, but I should get used to it in a bit. And besides it's only until this evening, right? So it's fine."

Rin nodded and beamed. "Alright then." She said.

* * *

"What is that?"

The instructor pointed at Shirou, or rather above his head. Shirou held back a sigh that would be taken as rude and insulting by the instructor. He should have known this would happen, and indeed, curious eyes, snickering and giggling, and whispered conversations had followed him as he'd gone through the Clock Tower for his day's activities.

"It's…an experiment, my master has me doing for her." Shirou said. "I apologize if it appears inappropriate."

The man huffed unhappily but ultimately just waved Shirou off. It wasn't his place to question what a master asked their apprentice to do, even though it made Shirou somewhat…distracting.

"Alright, settle down." The man said from behind his desk, looking around and noticing the stares and conversation about Shirou Emiya and his 'halo'. "I understand Mister Emiya has caught your amused attentions, but as I understand it it's part of an experiment by his master. As professionals it is not our place to question the trials set by a master for their apprentice. Furthermore, as distracting as it might be, let this be an exercise on your abilities to focus your attentions on important matters. Understood?"

A chorus of agreement went up, and the instructor gave a small nod in response to Shirou's grateful one. "Now then," the instructor said, opening his notes and taking a piece of chalk began to draw a diagram on the board behind him. "Last week we ended our discussion on Czerny's Second Principle of…"

Shirou took his notes while focusing on the instructor's lecture, the rest of the class falling silent and attentive save for the scratching of pen and paper, as well as the occasional recitation as the instructor asked questions and called out names for their answer. The hour and a half passed without incident, and then as the bell rang marking the end of the period, the students began gathering their things.

"Next week I want each of you to submit a two-page essay on the Czerny Principles of Metaphysics, with at least one concrete example each of their application and a third page for references." The instructor said loudly while beginning to erase what he'd drawn and written on the board. "Mister Emiya, please stay after class."

"Yes sir." Shirou said with a small sigh. Gathering his things and placing them neatly in his bag, Shirou waited for the nearby aisle to clear before making his way down to the front row. Placing his bag on a desk, he waited for the instructor to finish and address him.

Finally, the man finished, and then turned to Shirou. "Ah yes, Mister Emiya." He said. "Don't worry, you're not in trouble. Just inquiring, how long will that…halo, of yours be over your head?"

"Until this evening, sir. At least that's what my master tells me."

The man nodded slowly. "Alright," he conceded. "So it'll be gone by next week?"

"Yes sir." Shirou answered, and the instructor nodded again.

"Good, good," he said. "I know I shouldn't question what your master tells you to do for their research but it is a distraction. Well, I won't ask what's it meant to do. Get a move on, lad. You have another class after mine?"

"Yes sir, I do." Shirou said.

The instructor gestured at the door with his head. "Then go." He said, and with a nod Shirou took his things, and left.

* * *

"What is thi-GAAAAAAAAAAAA-!"

Lord Waver El-Melloi II cried out as he sprang back, having tried to grab hold of the halo held over Shirou's head, only to get a painful surprise as static electricity gave him quite the shock. "S-sorry!" Shirou said, bowing repeatedly as Lord El-Melloi II furiously rubbed his hand. "I didn't know that would happen…what did happen, anyway?"

"Electric shock…" Lord El-Melloi II replied. "Static charge built up probably by that mystic code of yours…what is that? What does it do? And why are you wearing it?"

"It's a mystic code Rin has me testing out." Shirou said, falling into step beside Lord El-Melloi II. "As for what does it do…sorry, I shouldn't talk about it. And for your last question, I think I answered it already."

"So you did." Lord El-Melloi II sourly said. "Doesn't Tohsaka have anything better to do than use her apprentice as a guinea pig?"

"Guinea pig?" Shirou echoed skeptically. "That's a bit harsh, don't you think?"

Lord El-Melloi II looked at Shirou just as skeptically. "Emiya," he began. "Your master is having you field test one of her mystic codes. You know as well as I do just how dangerous that can be. And you think I'm too harsh?"

"If it was that dangerous, then Rin wouldn't have tested it outside her workshop…or had me do it for her." Shirou said. "She'd have done it herself. Besides, this way you could say I'm an…objective, point of view for her research. If she'd done it herself…"

"Yes, yes," Lord El-Melloi II interrupted with a wave of his hand. "It'd be clouded by her personal bias. Yeah right…if that was the case then no scientist or magus would ever conduct research on their own…"

"That's…what peer review is for." Shirou pointed out.

"Don't be a smartass." Lord El-Melloi II snapped. "Yet another bad habit that's rubbing off on you from Tohsaka. Honestly…damn Tohsaka…each and every one of them…always trouble."

"Um…sure…okay…"

Shirou didn't know what to make of that, from the sound of things Lord El-Melloi II was implying he knew another Tohsaka. But…wasn't Rin the last of her clan? Apart from her mother of course but…

…then again, there was also her father, and Lord El-Melloi II was old enough to probably have known the man.

 _Come to think of it…didn't Lord El-Melloi fight during the Fourth Holy Grail War? If so, then he might have fought Rin's dad during that war._

 _That's probably what he meant by Tohsaka always being trouble, though he's exaggerating when it comes to Rin._

 _Though…doesn't that mean he also fought my dad too?_

Shirou glanced at the silent Lord El-Melloi II, wondering if he should ask if the lord had at least met Kiritsugu Emiya, and what had been his impressions of the man. "What is it?" Lord El-Melloi II asked, meeting Shirou's eyes. "Go ahead and ask what you want to ask."

"Well…it's…it might be a bit rude…"

"Just ask."

"Okay…um…I heard that you fought during the Fourth Holy Grail War, so I was just wondering…"

"…if I knew or at least met Kiritsugu Emiya, is that it?" Lord El-Melloi II asked, coming to a halt.

"Well, yes." Shirou said. "Could you tell me about your impressions of my dad?"

"I could." Lord El-Melloi II asked, before pausing for several long moments, in which Shirou began to fidget uncomfortably. "But I won't."

"Huh?"

"There's nothing I could tell you of the man that you need to hear." Lord El-Melloi II said, resuming his walk. "I never actually met him, only knew of him and faced him by extension through his Servant. So…nothing of substance. Besides…you already have everything you need to know about your father, don't you, Emiya?"

Shirou looked down and nodded sadly. "I guess I do." He admitted after a moment.

"Anything more you want to know," Lord El-Melloi II continued after another moment. "You can find them in the archives. Though you might not like what you find."

"I know dad's hands weren't clean." Shirou said with a sigh. "Not any cleaner when you compare them to magi like us, anyway. I think I can handle it."

Lord El-Melloi II didn't reply at once, but after a few moments he nodded. "Up to you," he said. "You're too trusting do you know that?"

Shirou snorted and nodded. "Yeah, others have said so before." He said. "Though I like to think of it as just hoping for the best from the people I meet."

Lord El-Melloi II snorted. "Right," he said. "Careful Emiya, thinking like that could lead you down a path you'd only regret following later on."

"Yes, I know." Shirou said, and Lord El-Melloi II glanced sharply at him. There was something about the way Shirou said it, but…it was almost as though those words…they were meant to be taken literally. As though Shirou _knew_ the regret that would come from walking down such a path.

 _How? And if so, then why? Why is he walking so close to the edge? Does he actually want to fall down that way? Why?_

Lord El-Melloi II shook his head, and set aside the questions. Shirou Emiya was still young. He could still make the choice to walk away, and avoid destroying himself by blindly following such naïve and idealistic sentiments.

 _I like to think of as just hoping for the best from the people I meet._

Lord El-Melloi II sighed and checked a pocket watch. "Well, I've got work to do at Modern Magecraft Theories," he said, halting to look at Shirou. "What about you, kid? Don't you have any classes right now?"

"Not really," Shirou said with a shrug. "I've got this period free, then there's lunch break after that. I have classes all afternoon though."

Lord El-Melloi II nodded. "I see." He said. "I'll be going then. No, wait! Pass on this message to Tohsaka."

"Uh, okay…"

"Tell her that while it's not my place to question her teaching methods," Lord El-Melloi II began to Shirou's exasperation. "It's also considered bad form to use one's apprentice as a test subject."

"But I'm not…alright, I'll tell her. She's not going to be happy, though."

"And that is none of my concern." Lord El-Melloi II said with a roll of his eyes before walking off with a wave. "See you around, kid."

Shirou smiled and nodded. "Likewise, Lord El-Melloi." He said.

"…the second!" the correction came irritably, and Shirou smiled wider.

"Yes, yes, Lord El-Melloi II."

* * *

Rin sneezed three times in quick succession, to the surprise and amusement of her friends. "God bless you." Valentina Fyodorovna Ustinova said.

"Thanks Valya." Rin said to the statuesque blonde, while rubbing her nose. The Russian woman smirked.

"There's an Eastern superstition about sneezing three times, _da_?" she asked. "Something about people talking bad about you?"

"There is." Rin confirmed before returning to her numerical tables. "But that's just a superstition, you shouldn't pay attention to it at all."

Valya tutted while waving her finger in the air. "Now, now, Rin," she said. "Don't forget that sufficient belief can actually warp the World, if only to a very small extent. But it is there. Such a fundamental principle, so easily forgotten…I was under the impression you were a genius, _nyet_?"

"I can't stop people from calling me a genius." Rin said. "All I know for sure is that I've got a lot of potential, and that's it. I still need to work and study hard to make all that matter."

Valya laughed, as did the other girl at the table. "That's true." Miranda Banks, a twenty-year old magus from the USA said. "Besides, _I_ think genius is overrated."

"Really?" Rin asked. "How does that work?"

"Well, all it means is that you get a head start before everyone else." Miranda said. "So when you think about it, when those who started further back catch up and then get ahead of you, who actually deserves recognition more? The genius, or the ordinary person who just put everything they had on the line to get as far as they did?"

"…the latter, obviously." Rin said.

Valya nodded. "I agree with Rin." She said, and Miranda beamed. "Though I'm surprised an American would say something like that."

"Oh yeah?" Miranda snapped. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

Rin sighed, tuned out her friends' good-natured bickering with the ease of practice, and returned to her work. Fractals were…beautiful. The infinite complexity of their geometries could not be described in any other way, but the mathematics behind their relationship with crystal structures, trans-dimensional planes, metaphysical relationships, and the like was…insane.

It didn't stop her from working on them, as fractal mathematics were a fundamental principle in higher-level Jewel Magecraft. So as much as it hurt her head to work on them, no matter how tedious they were, no matter how tiresome the amount of effort needed to solve the equations provided by the instructors…she did them.

It just had to be done. And it wasn't as though it was for nothing. Again, fractals were a fundamental principle in higher-level Jewel Magecraft. Throwing jewels as bombs with enough force to level skyscrapers, or crafting mystic codes and mysteries with the power to cause earthquakes, start firestorms or even localized thunderstorms, and freeze large sections of a river or turn it into steam, all with jewels at their heart were all well and good…but that was ultimately just an amateur's, or a generally-limited exploration of the potential of Jewel Magecraft.

Indeed, manipulating the elements, or producing merely physical effects, all that could be considered as limited applications of what magecraft was capable of. For at its most profound, magecraft dealt with _concepts_. Metaphysical ideas and forms that shaped what was real and unreal, understanding, manipulating, and even _transmuting_ which made up a true master magus' repertoire of mysteries.

For Rin and her family's specialization, that concept was that of the Kaleidoscope, an infinitely-growing and simultaneously infinitely-declining existence, actualized as countless parallel universes being born from every single possible choice becoming, and equally countless universes declining as they failed and faded away, dying from energy exhaustion. The concept also supported an application in the form of time travel, or even drawing energy from other universes to apply in one's own, and countless other applications…a reflection of the Kaleidoscope's own nature as a concept.

Indeed, Rin and her family already had a blueprint to work on, to guide their efforts to understand and apply the concept of the Kaleidoscope. It was in fact, a literal blueprint, that of the Wizard Marshal Zelretch's own mystic code, the Jeweled Sword. The entire family had worked to complete it for generations, and even now, six generations along, Rin realistically predicted that even if she devoted all her life and work to completing the Jeweled Sword, it would still likely be her grandchildren who'd succeed in completing and wielding the Jeweled Sword.

Optimistically though, Rin predicted that within twenty years, she could attempt to replicate the Jeweled Sword with an ample chance of success of about…twenty-five per cent, or so. A one in four chance didn't sound like much, but it was actually quite large when one thought about it.

"Rin?" Valya began.

"What is it?" Rin absent-mindedly asked.

"We need to get to class, or we'll be late."

"Wait, what?"

* * *

"What is that?" Luvia asked.

Shirou sighed in exasperation. "What's with the heavy sigh?" Luvia asked again. "Something on your head, Shero? Apart from the halo that is? If you want to dress up like a stereotypical angel, then I'm afraid the Department of General Fundamentals, or indeed, all departments outside that of Creation are going to be looking at you strangely."

"I've been asked that question – that of what's this halo supposed to be – the whole day." Shirou said. "So…I apologize if I seem rude, but it is getting exasperating. Please bear with me."

"Understandable…" Luvia while sipping her tea. Setting it down, she turned and smiled at Shirou. "Though it certainly hasn't affected your tea-making skills, for which I'm very grateful for."

"It shouldn't…but you're welcome."

Luvia and Shirou beamed at each other, before Luvia continued. "So…" she began. "What is that?"

Shirou laughed weakly. "Oh alright," he said. "It's a mystic code I'm testing out for Rin. No, I'm not going to tell you what it does. And no, I am not a guinea pig. For one thing, it's not that dangerous. Not really…if it was, Rin wouldn't have asked me to test it for her, and she'd have done it herself in her workshop."

Luvia snorted, and drank some more of her tea. "You really trust her, don't you?" she asked.

"Well, we have been through a lot together." Shirou said. "Wouldn't have made it through without each other, so…"

Shirou trailed off with a shrug, while Luvia drank some more of her tea to further mask the veiled expression of jealousy on her face. "More tea please," she said. "And bring some macarons with you as well."

"Yes, my lady." Shirou said with a smile, taking the teacup and its saucer before leaving. A few minutes later and he returned, with a fresh and steaming cup of tea, along with a plate of warm macarons. "Here you go."

Luvia nodded her thanks as Shirou placed her tea and snacks on the table in front of her. "Thank you, Shero!" she said before taking her fork and stabbing it into a macaron.

Shirou bowed before silently stepping back, letting Luvia enjoy her snack in peace. As she finished though, and Shirou began to gather her dirty plate and utensils, he spoke up. "So…" he began. "About what you said earlier…why is the Department of Creation the exception?"

"What…oh, _that._ "

Luvia coughed and dabbed at her lips with a table napkin. "Well," she began. "It's because the Department of Creation has a…culture, to it."

"Culture?"

"Well, yes." Luvia said with a nod. "It encourages its members, from Lord Valueleta himself down to the lowest-ranking student to consider themselves as artists. New ideas, innovations, and creativity are encouraged and deliberately cultivated and nurtured…to the point that personal eccentricities, so long as kept within the bounds of proper behavior – and even those are quite relaxed – are not only tolerated but outright accepted as…artistic, expressions."

"…seriously?"

"I am quite serious." Luvia said. "As is the Department of Creation. I know two instructors there ranked as Prides who tend to go around in beards and robes as though they're in Ancient Greece, for all that I know they're British-born and raised. I've even heard mentioned before that a group of American magi from that department were going around in…shiny clothes and…those hairstyles associated with…whatever you call that dance club with the big shiny ball on the ceiling."

"Afros," Shirou corrected. "The hairstyles are called afros. And it's not just a dance club, it's a whole – modern – musical genre called disco, though it's been a long time since it's been popular. Though it does make some strange bit of sense, that American magi would cling to something that a lot of people describe as dead…"

Shirou sighed and looked up. " _Eccentric people, huh?_ " he thought. " _Luvia's probably exaggerating though…I mean it's not like she's from the Department of Creation, so how would she really know? They can't be that…retro…can they?_ "

* * *

"Now then," Rin said, while removing the plastic and paper holder that was keeping the halo above Shirou's head in place. "And…yes! It works!"

Rin began whooping and jumping into the air at her success, because the halo was floating perfectly and serenely over Shirou's head. "Congratulations," Shirou said. "I'm happy for you that it works…though now what?"

"Let me run a few tests, first." Rin said, already gathering her tools before jotting down some notes on a piece of paper. "Then I'll remove it."

"Alright."

'A few tests' turned out to be somewhat time-consuming, with Rin poking around and looking closely at both the halo and the space between it and Shirou's head. A couple of mystic codes were waved through the open air, while any and all findings were jotted down in Rin's notes.

About twenty minutes later, and Rin was done. "Right," she said, already holding a pair of tongs. "Let's get it off."

"Ah, wait!" Shirou said with hands raised. "Those tongs are made of metal, right?"

"Yes, and?"

"Apparently static builds up on the halo, so you'd probably get an electric shock if you touch it." Shirou warned his girlfriend. "Lord El-Melloi found that out the hard way earlier."

"Is that so…damn busybody." Rin muttered before walking away. She returned a couple of minutes later, heavy, lead-lined gloves on her hands.

"That's…a bit too much, don't you think?" Shirou observed, noting the big and heavy gloves.

"Safety first." Rin primly said while picking up the tongs, and grabbing the halo with it. " _Deaktivieren, Federungsfunktion._ "

The halo didn't even flicker. And when she pulled at it, all she succeeded in doing was pull Shirou out of his chair, and with a yelp of surprised pain to boot. "Wait, what?" Rin asked, repeatedly yanking at the halo. " _Deaktivieren, Federungsfunktion. Deaktivieren Federungsfunktion! DEAKTIVIEREN FEDERUNGSFUNKTION!"_

"Stop, stop!" Shirou shouted, finally pulling back and causing Rin to let go. Wincing, Shirou grabbed at his head and started rubbing furiously at his scalp. "Seriously, Rin. Are you trying to rip my scalp off?"

Rin could only stare at Shirou with a horrified expression on her face. "Shirou," she said, dropping the tongs and poking her fingers together. "I have some bad news."

"What?"

"I can't take the halo off."

"YOU WHAT?"

* * *

A/N

Well Shirou, it could be worse. At least you don't have angel wings (yet). I wonder what Lord El-Melloi II and Luvia are going to make of that.

On another note, Lord Valueleta is a canon character, the leader of the Clock Tower's meritocratic faction (Luvia or rather the Edelfelts are a member of said faction), and of the Department of Creation. The description of its members seeing themselves as artists is also canon, though the interpretation here is purely my own. As for Waver…he's the head of the Department of Modern Magecraft Theories.


	7. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Alea Iacta Est

Chapter 6

"You fool!" Luvia raged. "What the hell were you thinking, using Shero as an experimental subject? He's an apprentice, not a guinea pig! And your boyfriend to boot! If this is how you treat your apprentice much less a loved one, then I have to say I thought better of you, Rin Tohsaka! Yes, I, Luviagelita Edelfelt thought better of you than to do something as irresponsible as this!"

"Oh stop it with your theatrics!" Rin shot back. "I told you it was an honest mistake. I didn't think this would happen, and in fact, none of the simulations before testing showed this possibility at all. It was a variable, a whim of chance, a random happening that none of us, whether me, _Shirou_ , or even you, oh great and mighty Luviagelita Edelfelt, could have done anything about it. Besides, it didn't hurt him."

"Random happening?" Luvia snarled, her eyes twitching. " _Random happening?_ _ **It didn't hurt him?**_ I'll show you a random happening of hurt!"

"Bring it on, Goldilocks!" Rin snarled back.

Valya and Francoise moved in at this point, physically separating their friends who'd started clawing at each other's faces and pulling at each's other hair, all the while spitting and hissing like a pair of territorial cats. Meanwhile, Shirou sat uncomfortably on the couch, while the other magi present poked and prodded at him, or waved wands (or what looked like wands) over him.

"This isn't good, yo." Miranda said, waving a twelve-inch long, tapering rod of acacia through the air around Shirou. "That halo's bonded to Mister Shirou on a metaphysical level. I'm not really sure we can remove it without bringing in some serious stuff, or help from our higher ups. Not without hurting handsome here."

Shirou twitched at being called handsome, but Vier didn't seem to register. Instead she kept her eyes on a gauge attached by a line to a band wrapped tightly around Shirou's arm, and on another gauge attached to a probe she systematically poked into Shirou's torso.

"Yeah, except that'd cause our friends over there to bicker even worse." She remarked, and nodding at Rin and Luvia who'd gone back to throwing insults and accusations at each other, and looking increasingly-frazzled as time went by. "Who's responsible, who's going to pay the bill, and other petty things like that."

"Petty?" Miranda echoed. "This isn't some joke, Miss Vier. This halo is a B-rank mystic code, and while I doubt Rin's going to enchant it any further until we get it off – somehow – there are already plenty of mysteries bonded to the halo. If we don't get it off, it might start affecting him physically."

"Physically?" Shirou echoed worriedly.

"Well, yes." Vier said. "You know that prolonged or repeated exposure to mysteries in general, or to particularly profound ones are reflected by physical changes to one's body. The genetic affinity lineages have to their family schools is the most common example, or how vampires tend to become…embodiments, of a certain mystery."

"So what does that mean?" Shirou asked. "Am I suddenly going to sprout wings and fly away?"

Miranda poked at Shirou on a temple with a hand. "This is serious, Mister Shirou." She said chidingly. "Don't jinx it. Unless you really do want a pair of wings."

"And that's if you're lucky." Vier cheerfully said.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Shirou asked.

"Oh?" Vier said while tilting her head. "Did you actually think all angels were just beatific children with white wings? The Thrones are literally chariots with flaming wheels, while the Cherubim are winged…anthropoids, with four faces, only one of which is Human. The Seraphim are literally just six wings joined together…ouch!"

"As I said," Miranda said after bopping Vier on the head. "Don't jinx it."

Vier pouted while rubbing the top of her head. "My mistake." She said.

"So, are you saying I'm suddenly going to turn into some kind of monster?" Shirou said incredulously. "As in sprout not just wings but extra faces, and not even Human ones at that. Or worse…"

Miranda cut him off with a flick of a finger to his forehead. "Calm down." She said before smiling. "The mysteries on this halo aren't profound enough to cause _that_ degree of physical mutations. You'll _probably_ just get wings at most, small ones, not enough to really fly with, though I imagine they'd look pretty striking in their own way. Though the possibility still exists of random mutations…"

The American magus trailed off as she realized she wasn't really helping by this point. Shirou looked sick, while Vier sighed. "If only Sakura were here…" she said.

"Sakura?" Miranda echoed. "Who's that?"

"Sakura Tee," Shirou said. "She's a friend of theirs, another one of Luvia's circle."

He paused, turning to Vier. "Wait," he began. "You think she can help with this?"

"Of course she can." Vier said. "She's a puppet master. Alright, not really a _master_ at this point, but her master already lets her earn her own keep by selling replacement limbs and organs, so if there's anyone we know who wouldn't cause trouble while being able to get rid of something like that halo, it's her."

"A puppet master, huh?" Miranda said thoughfully.

"I wouldn't be so confident." Rin said while coming closer, her clothes rumpled and hair disarrayed. "Puppetry's not really as profound a field as it used to be, having been in decline for centuries now."

"Hey, Rin!" Shirou protested. "That's a bit harsh, don't you think?"

"It's true, though." Miranda said. "Ever since Vesalius revolutionized the science of anatomy, coupled with medical advances over the centuries since, puppetry's gotten rather…cheap, I could say? Too many people know about the Human body and how it works."

"Conservation of mysteries," Rin said with a nod. "It's a basic principle, but an absolute one. It's a sad fact, and I feel for families which had practiced the field in the hopes of reaching the Root only to find their effort become increasingly for nothing over the years and decades…but it _is_ a fact."

"Only one puppeteer has ever managed to – somehow – escape the rot, though the how is something she's been keeping her mouth shut on." Miranda added before smirking and shrugging. "Though that's not really something I or anyone else for that matter, can blame her for. It's only to be expected, after all."

"And who's this genius puppeteer?" Shirou asked.

"Touko Aozaki," Valya said. "Genius is right. She was Grand Magus at twenty, and received color red at the same time too. Sealed for her achievements, she managed to kill or escape the best the Association sent for her head, until they finally gave up and unsealed her if only she'd come back."

"Did she?"

"Yes." Luvia said. "Though getting a favor from her is easier than done. She's a very good haggler…though that shouldn't really be a problem here, so long as we use the right connections to get to her."

"And…do you have those connections?" Rin asked warily. "Or know how to get them?"

"Yes," Luvia said after a look at Shirou who gave her an expectant look. "Though that person is unavailable right now."

"And…who is this, influential person?" Miranda asked.

"Why, Sakura of course." Luvia said with a small but smug smile. "She is Touko Aozaki's apprentice, after all."

Mouths fell open, and then Rin was clearing her throat, and running a hand through her hair, a calculating light in her eyes. "So…um…Luvia," she began with a sweet voice that had Shirou cringing and Luvia grinning with amusement. "We're friends right? So…do you mind introducing me to this other, brilliant friend of yours?"

* * *

"Lord El-Melloi…"

"It's Lord El-Melloi _**II**_! Get it right!"

Surprisingly, it wasn't Waver who was shouting the correction this time, but a petite blonde in dark clothes standing next to him and a maid made from some kind of silver metal. That same blonde promptly and childishly kicked Shirou on a shin, causing the young man to jump away with a yell.

"You'd best be thankful I'm the one who overheard the mistake." The blonde snapped, repeatedly stabbing at the air with a finger pointed at Shirou. "There are other people who'd be less forgiving of the mistake, and while you _probably_ won't get into trouble for it, it'd cause a lot of trouble for my family, and especially for my brother. So get it right, got it!"

"Right, right…" Shirou grumbled. "Um…Lord El-Melloi II…who's this snappy kid?"

 _That_ led to another kick on the shin, and Shirou jumping away in pain again. Waver ran a hand over his face. "This 'snappy kid', if you must know," he said, and ignoring the annoyed glare on the blonde's face. "Is my little sister, and the true heiress to the El-Melloi lineage."

"Your sister?" Shirou echoed.

"I am Reines El-Melloi Archisorte." The blonde – Reines – proudly proclaimed. "Be honored, that I have chosen to make an acquaintance of you, boor. Though, if my brother deems you fit to be his acquaintance, then it is only meet that I do so as well."

"Um…thanks but…if you're the little sister…shouldn't Lord El-Melloi II be the heir?"

"It's complicated." Waver said. "Leave it at that, and you should already know better than to poke your nose into private magus business."

"Well…yes…um alright…"

"And?" Waver asked after a long and awkward moment. "What can I do for you today, Shirou?"

"Um yes…this here…" Shirou said while handing a sheaf of documents to Waver. "Um…I need to request a leave of absence."

"…why?"

"Magical complications," Shirou said uncomfortably. "Um…it's private…nothing too serious, but the…um, consultants said I should avoid getting exposed to mysteries as much as I can until the problem's been cleared up."

There was another long and awkward moment, and then Waver was sighing. "Shirou," he began. "I assume this refers to that glowing mystic code of yours, or rather Tohsaka's, that's literally hanging over your head."

"Uh…"

"I see." Waver said while nodding slowly. "In that case, I'll do you a favor."

And with that, Waver tore the request for a leave of absence in two. "First," he said. "You should file a request for a leave of absence with your department. In theory I _could_ help you there, but it's considered impolite, a breach of protocol. Second, while it's not uncommon, apprentices suffering from…complications, born of their involvement in their masters' experiments and research is technically against regulations. Not too serious, but could still result in a letter of reprimand and a black mark on your master's record. And it's not like you're physically-debilitated or anything like because of the 'complication' at least from what I can see."

"You've got good eyes, big brother." Reines said with a mocking smile.

"Yes, I know." Waver said, and Reines' smirk grew wider. "So consider this a favor for you and your master."

"…but…"

"Oh, and one more thing." Waver interrupted, already turning to leave. "I would suggest instead of relying on Miss Tohsaka and Miss Edelfelt mucking about to fix the problem, go and see a magical medicine professional or a puppet master. They'll have it fixed in no time, all for a fair and reasonable price."

The last was delivered in such a deadpan tone that Shirou was struck silent and numb by how clear it was that Waver was not even believing in what he himself had just said. "If you'll excuse me," Waver continued with a nod. "I have other business to attend to. I take my leave."

With another nod, Waver walked away, Shirou soundlessly reaching out to stop him before letting him arm fall with a sigh of exasperation. Scratching at his head, Shirou made to leave…

…only to find himself staring into the icy eyes of Reines El-Melloi Archisorte.

Blinking, Shirou fought the urge to step back, and instead met the young woman's gaze head on. The stalemate proceeded for a long moment, and then Reines leaned forward, causing Shirou to flinch back. Reines smiled with amusement.

"It's nice to meet you, Mister _Emiya_." She said, and Shirou blinked at how she had known his name.

 _Well, she_ _ **is**_ _Lord El-Melloi II's younger sister. He probably tells her a lot about everything, and as the real heir of the family, she probably knows a lot about what goes on and who's around here._

"…for an unrefined boor," Reines was saying. "You're actually quite handsome. And your lack of refinement actually suits you in a good way. How unexpected…and how very interesting…"

Chuckling, Reines nodded and extended a hand. Blinking in surprise, Shirou took and shook Reines' hand, the blonde smiling wider at him as he did so.

"I shall have you join me for dinner one of these days, Mister Emiya." Reines said. "I'm sure it will be very much worth your time."

"Um…yes, of course. I'll be honored…my lady."

Chuckling again, Reines tilted her head and left, her metal maid bowing politely to Shirou before following its mistress.

* * *

"Lots of UST there, yo."

"UST?"

"Unresolved sexual tension." Miranda explained, and Francoise and Vier promptly choked on their drinks. The American grinned. "What, don't tell you don't see it."

"…doesn't Tohsaka have the Emiya boy as a beau though?" Francoise asked, while dabbing at her mouth with a paper napkin.

"Hmm…and…?" Miranda asked. "I thought you French types were more…liberal, about these kind of things, and would notice and be more accepting of them than most would be."

"That is a very stereotypical way to see Frenchmen." Francoise scoffed. "That said…I do see and understand where and how it comes from. Just as I see and understand where and how Americans are seen as a bunch of gung-ho cowboys who just mindlessly charge into sticky situations with guns blazing and coming out the heroes _despite_ getting their friends shot in the ass."

That last was delivered with a friendly smirk, and had Miranda laughing with genuine amusement. "Oh, I like you." She said. "Though for your information, I am a _very_ good shot…with both hands at the same time."

Francoise scoffed. "Typical American," she said with a good-natured smile. "Even though as a magus you should be ashamed to make use of something like guns, at the end of the day, you're still a cowboy through and through."

"Cowgirl, actually." Miranda corrected with a wink. "Or you can just call me a Yank like the British do."

"Hmm…perhaps I shall."

"While I don't want to stick too much to this topic," Miranda continued. "Guns can be damn useful. Pa once put some son of a bitch down who took every spell we could throw at him and shrug off…but couldn't do the same to a forty-five right to the forehead. Took quite a bit to get the blood and brains off the carpet though."

"…I hear lemon water does wonders getting bloodstains out of cloth."

"Yeah, that's what grandma said when she found out."

There was laughter all around at that. "Seriously though," Vier asked. "Do you really think Tohsaka just wants to get into Luvia's bed?"

"Not just her," Miranda serenely said while breathing in and savoring her coffee's fumes. "I would say Edelfelt also wants Tohsaka out of her clothes and in bed with her."

"…that's a tad…explicit, don't you think?"

"Maybe," Miranda admitted while taking a drink. "But it's probably the truth. Though they probably don't realize it themselves either. Tohsaka has her boyfriend with her, and given how young we all are, I'm sure they have a healthy life in the bedroom."

"Good God," Vier said, dabbing at her lips with her cheeks ablaze. "Let's not talk about the details, please?"

"Well now, aren't you the innocent?"

Vier squeaked with embarrassment as Miranda grinned and Francoise elbowed her friend teasingly. "And you aren't?" the latter asked the former with a challenging tone.

Miranda whistled. "Ask no questions," she said. "And I'll tell you no lies, friend."

"Ha!" Francoise barked with a slow clap. "Alright, I understand. Ladies don't kiss and tell, after all."

"My thoughts exactly."

"And Luvia?"

Miranda shrugged. "Probably keeping it under control, somehow." She said. "Maybe with all that aristocratic refinement of yours."

"That's probably it." Francoise conceded. "Huh…so in the end, to get our friends off each other's throats, we basically need to put them in bed together, right?"

"I wouldn't say that." Miranda said after another drink. "I mean, it could work, but that's just one bone to pick between that."

"Oh?"

"There's another one?" Vier asked.

"Tohsaka's boyfriend, Shirou Emiya." Miranda said with a smile. "Don't tell me Edelfelt isn't interested in him. And I can see why. He's not bad-looking at all, has a very good work ethic, and both polite and a genuinely nice guy."

"And you're not interested in him either?" Francoise challenged.

"…hmm…I need to know more." Miranda said with a wink, and there was more laughter at that.

"A love triangle…?" Vier mused. " _Himmel hilf_ , that's soap opera-grade material there."

"Yes." Miranda agreed. "And as interesting as watching it blow up would be, well, it is our friends we're talking about here. Here's to it _not_ getting to that point."

"Hear, hear!"

"I can drink to that."

The three magi drank, and then setting her mug down, Miranda rested her chin on her entwined fingers with a smile on her face. "I imagine you have something in mind to resolve that?" Francoise asked.

"Maybe…"

"Really?"

"Oh yes," Miranda said with a grin. "Both the potential love triangle, and the UST between Edelfelt and Tohsaka."

"…please tell me you're not thinking of what I'm thinking."

"I don't know, I'm not a mind reader or anything of the sort."

"Then why don't you just tell us?"

Miranda grinned wide. "Just put all three of them in bed together." She said. "The whole thing will fix itself in a single night."

There was a profound silence, and then with another squeak of embarrassment Vier ran off with the excuse of needing to visit the ladies' room. Miranda and Francoise just laughed it off.

"A _menage a trois_? I like the way you think." Francoise said while raising her teacup in a toast.

"Thank you." Miranda said with a nod, and raising her coffee mug to return the toast. "I think we just might get along fine."

"Hmm…I think so too."

With a matching smile, the two women's cups met each other over the table.

* * *

There was a sneeze. And then another. And then another.

"Someone must be talking about you someplace else."

Luvia gave Rin a disbelieving glance. "That's just a silly superstition." She scoffed.

Rin looked at Luvia just as disbelievingly. "Can you even hear yourself?" she asked. "Are you a magus or are you not a magus?"

"…point." Luvia grudgingly conceded. "Well, fine. If they want to talk behind my back, let them, for all I care."

"…I'm not sure whether or not that's a good attitude to have."

Luvia smirked. "Well now," she said. "Which is it really, I wonder."

Rin didn't bother to give that a response. "So…" she began. "About that puppeteer friend of yours, care to tell me about her?"

Luvia raised an eyebrow mockingly. "Interested?" she asked. "Of course you are, you need someone like her to fix the mess you started."

"…look, can we just…focus, on fixing Shirou's problem, and just leave the background for it later?"

"When it's getting fixed, questions will be asked as to what and who caused it, you know?"

Rin muttered something impolite under her breath, and which Luvia graciously decided to just ignore. "As her name indicates," Luvia said. "Sakura Tee is, like you, a Japanese magus. She's also a distant relative of ours, as her grandmother was a member of my clan."

"Wait, what?"

Luvia smiled, but shook her head. "It's complicated, and rather private." She said. "I hope you understand."

"…I suppose I do."

"Anyway," Luvia continued. "She encountered Touko Aozaki at a very young age, back when Miss Aozaki was still a sealing designate. The details are private, but since Sakura was just a spare, it was decided that Sakura would be allowed to become Touko's apprentice, and that was that."

Rin raised her eyebrows. "A bit bare-boned, if I might describe your story." She said with mocking politeness.

"As I said, the details are private."

"Right…" Rin said with a sigh. "Alright…I assume then, that you met with and befriended Sakura as a relative when her master was unsealed and allowed to return to the Clock Tower?"

"Well, we are related." Luvia said with a small smile, and Rin narrowed her eyes. There was something about that smile, and the way the response was worded that was ringing alarm bells in her head.

But what?

And that name…it was a common one among Japanese, but one with many bad memories for Rin.

 _Sakura…oh Sakura…we loved you…we just wanted the best for you…why…why did you just throw it all away? Where…where are you now? Are you alright? Are you well? Are you loved?_

Rin closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "And?" she asked, pushing the painful memories and thoughts away. "Can you get me in touch with her?"

"Sadly, no." Luvia said.

"And why not?"

Luvia laughed and tilted her head. "Because she's away on private business right now, that's why." She said with a smile, and again, Rin narrowed her eyes.

"I see."

* * *

The Sun had already long since set by the time she returned home, at the house in the suburbs that she and Shirou renting during their stay. Judging from the lights both inside and outside, plus the shoes neatly arranged to one side (despite the house not being designed Japanese-style, Rin and Shirou still followed Japanese ways with regard to their house), Shirou had come home before Rin did.

Those, as well as the mouthwatering smells wafting gently through the house's interior from the kitchen. Replacing her outdoor shoes for indoor ones, Rin made her way to the kitchen, where as expected she found Shirou at the stove, slowly stirring a bubbling pot on the stove.

"I'm home." Rin said.

"Welcome back." Shirou said.

"What's cooking?" Rin asked.

Shirou smiled over his shoulder. "White sauce," he said. "I thought we'd have pasta tonight, but with something that's more than the usual."

"Oh really?" Rin said, returning the smile. "Good thinking."

Shirou laughed, and then leaning in as Rin approached reciprocated the kiss she gave him. "The sauce still needs to simmer some more," he said. "And I haven't cooked the noodles yet, if so only I can serve them fresh from the pot when we have dinner. The bread's already in the oven though."

"Hmm…and…?"

"Well," Shirou said, still stirring the simmering pot of white sauce. "If you want you should have plenty of time to take a shower and freshen up."

"Hmm…I think I'll do just that." Rin said cheerfully. "Though, I don't think there's enough time to soak a bit."

"Well, if you want I can simmer the sauce just a bit longer…"

"No," Rin demurred. "It's fine. Besides, I wouldn't want dinner to get overcooked, or to push you or something. A shower and a change of clothes will be fine."

"Alright then."

Rin smiled wider. "If you want," she offered. "I could pick up the pace and help you out afterwards."

"No, it's fine." Shirou said. "Take your time. I can handle things just fine here. You can just help me clean up after dinner."

"Hmm…is it really alright?"

Shirou laughed, and then made dismissive gestures with one hand. "Yeah, it really is." He said. "So off you go, and freshen up."

"Hmm…alright then."

Nodding once at her boyfriend, Rin left the kitchen and made for the second floor bathroom, leaving Shirou alone in the kitchen. Whistling softly to himself, Shirou turned back to his cooking, and after a few moments, used the ladle to put a small amount of sauce into a small saucer for a taste.

Shirou sampled the sauce, and then tilted his head.

"More cream." He said, before hurrying to get more cream.

* * *

A/N

According to _El-Melloi Case Files_ , the 'second' in Waver's title isn't a dynastic (?) one actually, i.e. it doesn't mean he's the second Lord El-Melloi after Kayneth. It means he's the second in rank after the Lord El-Melloi, as far as clan hierarchy goes. The actual Lord El-Melloi is his (adopted, though it was Waver who was technically adopted into the El-Melloi) younger sister Reines Archisorte. Who, BTW, is actually Kayneth's younger sister.

Put another way, Waver is El-Melloi's CEO, but Chairwoman Reines is his boss.

Hence, the insistence on the correct way of address, as addressing him as just 'Lord El-Melloi' can be very dangerous in more ways than one, considering how byzantine magi politics can be. Whether it's clan politics or Clock Tower politics.

That bit about puppet magecraft is actually true, and part of why – if not _the_ why – Touko is such hot stuff as far as magi are concerned. Puppet magecraft is supposed to be a shadow of what it used to be, thanks to people these days knowing so much about the Human body and how it works…and yet Touko's constructs are impossibly good. So much so, that she herself – literally – could be argued as having since stepped into the domain of the Third Magic, what with Touko's ability to body-surf between puppet bodies whenever her current one is destroyed, and with no – or negligible – side-effects.


	8. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Alea Iacta Est

Chapter 7

It was a bright and sunny day, the sky a light blue clear of clouds, the Sun shining down warmly over the city of London. Birds happily chirped to each other on tree branches, or flew across the sky in great flocks.

In the suburbs, Rin and Shirou were busying themselves with housework in the morning, to free up their afternoon and evening for their leisure. There were no classes at the Clock Tower for either of them today, and so they'd decided to just spend it home with each other. Apart from still trying to figure out how to remove Rin's malfunctioning mystic code from where it was still hovering over Shirou's head, there was a lot to be done, ranging from doing the laundry, airing out the bedsheets and pillows, as well as cleaning the house.

But even with all that, they would no doubt have ample time for themselves later on. Rin planned to take advantage of that to call home and have a long talk with her mother back in Fuyuki, sometime around noon, which would be evening in Japan. Shirou also planned likewise, in his case to his (surrogate) older sister, Taiga Fujimura.

Right now though, housework was their focus, there being a proper time and place for everything. Rin was busy doing inventory on their stores, for when they went grocery shopping later, while Shirou was busy taking clothes out of the dryer, then folding, and finally sorting them into piles for himself and Rin respectively.

"I'm just about done with the clothes." Shirou said, poking his head out of the room wherein the washing machine and the dryer were found. "I'll take them up to our room, and then I'll come back to help you here."

"Okay, you do that." Rin said, looking up from where she'd been listing things that needed to be stocked up. "No, wait…bring our clothes up to our room, and then get started on the living room. I'll be fine here."

"You sure?"

"Of course, I'm sure. Now, go."

"Yes, yes."

Taking Rin's pile first of all, Shirou hefted it with a small grunt, and then walking out of the washing room made his way through the kitchen into the living room, and then up the stairs to the second floor. Making his way to their shared room, Shirou placed the pile on the bed, and then briefly walking away, opened the closet.

Shirts went to one pile, blouses were hung with coat hangers on a metal pole place horizontally near the top of the closet, while underwear were placed in neat, segregated piles on a drawer below the cabinet. After making sure everything was properly sorted and neatly arranged, Shirou left the room, leaving the closet and drawers open. He still had his clothes to put inside, after all.

Making his way back down to the ground floor, Shirou was in the middle of crossing the living room when someone rang the doorbell. "Yes, coming!" he said loudly, heading back across the living room and into the foyer. "Yes?"

"Good morning, sir." A delivery man for DHL's London branch greeted Shirou politely at the door. "I have a package here for Miss…Rin, Tohsaka?"

"Yes, she lives here with me." Shirou said. "Hang on a bit…"

Shirou paused to pull out his wallet, and opening it removed an ID which he presented to the delivery man. The man took it and regarded it briefly. "Shirou…Emiya…may I ask your relationship with Miss Tohsaka?" he asked.

"I'm her boyfriend." Shirou said. "We're both renting the same house to save on expenses while studying here."

"Yes, of course, I understand." The man said with a nod, and returned the ID to Shirou. Taking a clipboard pinned by a magnet to a hip, the man then flipped through several papers before settling on one. Taking a pen attached to one side of the clipboard, the man jotted some notes down before handing it to Shirou. "Please sign on the indicated areas for documentation."

"Yes…um…what's the package, anyway?" Shirou said, while beginning to sign.

"A Welsh Corgi, apparently."

"Wait, what?"

"A gift," the man said with a nod, while taking back the clipboard. "From an old acquaintance of yours according to the package instructions, one…Miss Sakura Tohsaka."

"Excuse me, who?"

The man glanced at Shirou curiously. "That is the name of the sender on the manifest, sir." He said. "I assume she is a relation of your girlfriend, though considering your reaction, probably a distant one."

"Yeah…I, suppose that's it. Sorry for the trouble."

The man nodded, and after checking the documentation, nodded again and returned to the truck parked outside. After some rummaging in the back, the man pulled out a pet carrier and a small box, and returning to the house handed it to Shirou. "Um…thank you…no really, thanks, and sorry for the trouble again." Shirou said while taking the carrier and the box.

"No problem, sir." The man said while tipping his hat. "Have a good day."

"You have a good day, too." Shirou said with a polite bow, and as the man left stepped back and closed the door. Lifting the carrier to eye level, Shirou eyed the panting dog sitting inside dubiously. "Okay…now…what shall we do with you?"

The dog barked happily a few times before resuming its panting. Shirou sighed, and lowering the case, went back inside. "Rin…" he called, already beginning to feel the beginning of a headache. Somehow, he just knew the day wasn't going to be the day of rest and relaxation they had thought it would be.

* * *

"Sakura? Sakura Tohsaka?" Rin echoed with a tone of shock and desperation tinging her voice. "You're sure that's the name of whoever sent this kitten?"

"That's what it says on the paperwork." Shirou said, holding up the customer's copy, which Rin quickly grabbed and read through.

"It does seem that way…but…how? And why now? After all this time?" she muttered.

"So, um…" Shirou began while taking in Rin's trembling form and stricken face. "Who exactly is this Sakura Tohsaka? A distant relative, or something?

Rin ignored him, and just read through a note that had come with the dog. Setting it aside, she grabbed the box that had come with the dog, and quickly – furiously – tearing through the packaging, pulled out what looked like a recording device of some kind.

She stared for a few moments, and then sighing, glanced at Shirou with a pleading expression on her face. "Shirou," she said with a small and matching voice. "I'll explain later, I promise. But for now, please…help."

"…still no good with electronic devices, huh." Shirou said in a vain effort to lighten the air, and taking the device checked the battery before turning it on.

Rin muttered something Shirou couldn't catch, and then fell silent as they heard someone coughing from the recorder's speaker. " _Hello?_ " the voice asked. " _Hello? Is this thing on? Testing, one, two, three…oh, it's on. Okay then, thanks._ "

"No…" Rin murmured in an even smaller voice. "It really is her…but…why…"

" _Ahem,_ " there was another cough from the recorder. " _Right…hey, it's been a while. I hear you've managed to get into the Clock Tower. Congratulations, I know it's quite hard to get into that place, even more so since you're Japanese, and the bunch in charge tend to see Japan as a backwater. Understandable, since it is on the other side of the world…now, if only they didn't see all of Asia in that same light…_ "

The voice trailed off, while Rin began to visibly shake, blood draining from her face. Shirou looked on worriedly, eyes turning from the recorder to Rin and then back to the recorder and then back to Rin. Hesitantly, he raised a hand, and placed it on her shoulder. Rin glanced at him, and Shirou blinked in shock to see her eyes filling with tears.

" _Anyway,_ " the voice from the recorder continued. " _Consider Newton here both a congratulation present, as well as ten, no, eleven, twelve, years' worth of birthday presents, big sister. He's a purebred Pembroke Welsh Corgi, who's also been subjected to cortical augmentation. No, he's not a familiar. But he is twice as intelligent as your typical dog, and from I've been told, he understands the basics of Human speech…even if he can't speak it himself, of course. Take good care of him now._ "

"Sakura…" Rin whispered, sniffing and wiping tears away from her eyes with the back of a hand.

" _Well, I've got to go._ " Sakura continued. " _I've got to chase someone worth quite a bit down, and I'm sure you know what to do. And if not…well, I've been told by a very reliable source that your boyfriend is quite the handyman. If you don't know how to take care of a pet, I'm sure he can. But if so, do try to learn from him, Rin. Newton's supposed to be **your** pet, not his._"

"…what?" Rin whispered while looking at an equally shocked-looking Shirou. "She…she knows about you?"

" _Anyway,_ " Sakura continued. " _As I said, I've got to go. You take care now. Bye._ "

"Wait…Sakura…where…how…" Rin stammered out, but the recording cut out, living Rin with no answers. With nothing else to do, Rin just collapsed into a seat, and letting her face into her hands, began to cry.

* * *

"What?" Luvia said over the phone. "A leave of absence, you say? May I ask why?"

Luvia closed her eyes, and with a sigh sank back into her armchair. "Oh, very well." She said with a long-suffering sigh. "There are plenty of things I could say about having such an apparently high-maintenance girlfriend, but I won't. Hmm…yes…yes, that means you can have today off. Tomorrow too, if needed, though I can't speak for your academic requirements. Yes, yes, of course."

Sighing again, Luvia replaced the phone on its cradle, and turned back to her friends. "What was that all about?" Vier asked.

"Apparently Shero won't be coming to work today." Luvia said, picking up her hand and regarding the cards therein. After a moment's thought, she discarded two, and picked up one. "Tohsaka has apparently had something of a crying spell."

"Really?" Francoise asked. "Is she truly that fragile?"

"Perhaps…" Luvia mused. "Either that, or something happened to cause her to collapse."

"…Mister Emiya is quite devoted to her." Francoise remarked after a moment.

"So it would seem." Luvia answered.

"Anyway," Vier said, also discarding a card and picking one up. "Any news on our other friend?"

"Sakura, you mean?" Luvia asked, and was met with nods. "Last I heard, she was on a plane bound for Mexico."

"Mexico?" Vier echoed with a raised eyebrow. "What's she planning to do there?"

"Not a clue." Luvia said with a shrug. "We can ask her when she comes back. Assuming she can answer, of course. If it's something her master sent her on, it's possible she can't answer. Confidentiality, and all that."

"Understandable," Francoise said, Vier nodding in agreement. "It comes with the job."

"Indeed, it does." Vier agreed. "Though it's still frustrating, in a way. Not getting answers, that is."

"True, enough." Luvia said. "Though it's something we all have to accept and live with."

There were murmuring agreements all around, and then the gathering turned to other topics across the poker table.

* * *

Shirou sighed as he tried to distract himself by cooking some soup for Rin. It wasn't helping much, and it didn't help that he overheard the whole recording. And of course, there was Rin's explanation afterwards.

In hindsight, he should have known that Rin, or at least her family, had certain skeletons in the closet. Nothing unusual about that, _everyone_ had skeletons in the closet. Shirou, for instance, was friendly – as in being on first name terms with the head of the local crime syndicate in Fuyuki _and_ his family – with top members of organized crime in his home city.

But, that was…pretty tame, compared to the skeletons magi families might have. And for all that Rin's family seemed pretty decent for magi, and that Rin herself had proven that beyond a doubt during the Fifth Holy Grail War, the same might not be said for her family, or at least her ancestors.

Thankfully though, it was nothing of the sort. But what it had been was still disturbing.

Rin apparently had once had a little sister, Sakura. She'd been born with equal potential to Rin, and like with all magi families, had been meant as a spare in case something happened to Rin. And more than likely, she'd have to be put to use as such, as Rin had admitted that as a baby, she'd actually been rather sickly, and from what her parents had told her, she'd almost died at one point.

Shirou sighed again. " _I should have expected this._ " He absent-mindedly thought while chopping up some vegetables. " _No one ever said being a magus would be simple and easy. I've always known that, but after the war, I'd hoped and thought that…!_ "

With a wordless cry, Shirou sprang back, holding his bleeding finger to his mouth. Being so lost in his thoughts, he'd accidentally cut his finger, no, more than that, had literally sliced the tip off.

"Great, just great." He muttered while walking off to get the first aid kit. As he moved through the kitchen, he spotted Newton looking at him curiously next to a bowl of dog food. A thought occurred to Shirou, about how Newton had apparently been augmented to make him smarter than dogs normally were.

" _I wonder…_ " he thought to himself, staring at Newton as he returned to his meal. " _How smart is he, really? And can he really understand what I'm saying?_ "

Nodding to himself, Shirou approached the corgi. "Hey, Newton." He began, the corgi curiously looking at him in response. After a moment, the dog tilted its head as though to invite Shirou to ask what he wanted to ask.

"Um…Sakura, I guess, said you were smarter than most dogs." Shirou began while squatting down. "Mind if I test that out?"

Newton closed his eyes and barked happily, causing Shirou to blink. "Wow, I think you actually did understand me." He said in wonder and surprise. "Eh…no offense."

Newton barked happily in response. "Okay then…" Shirou said with a small laugh. "Let's start with something simple…how about…um, what is two plus two?"

Newton tilted his head in response, and to Shirou's disappointment, returned to his food bowl. The disappointment was brief however, as Newton returned and dropped a mouthful of dog food onto the floor. And then with his nose, nudged four pellets in Shirou's direction. Newton then barked a few times, and flattening his ears, made an unhappy sound in Shirou's direction.

"Right, right," Shirou said with a sigh. "Sorry about that. Um…let's see, moving on, how about…six times ten?"

Newton barked happily, and with his nose moved pellets one by one until all of them were before Shirou. Newton then returned to his food bowl, put more pellets on the floor, and then pushed them before Shirou, until sixty pellets were in front of him. Newton barked, and wagging his tail, watched and waited as Shirou counted out all sixty pellets.

"Wow…" Shirou said in awe. "That was amazing. One more then…um…something a bit harder…okay, what is the square root of two thousand four hundred and one?"

Newton whined and lowered his head, and Shirou scratched his head as he suddenly felt very bad. "Okay, that was mean of me." He said, reaching forward to pat the dog. Newton immediately cheered up, barking happily and leaning into Shirou's touch, causing the young man to grin. "Looks like Sakura really was right. You're so much smarter than other dogs. Don't worry, we'll take really good care of you from now on."

Newton barked, and Shirou grinned wider. "Here's to all of us." He said cheerfully, and Newton barked in agreement.

* * *

Rin sat alone at her desk in the basement, which she and Shirou had transformed into their shared workshop. In a way, it was a replica of _both_ their respective workshops back in Japan, Shirou's humble shed and Rin's well-furnished basement, and a comforting touch of their real homes back in their homeland.

Today, however, the comfort was cold. Rin stared into space, her eyes glassy and dull, as she recalled the last time she had ever seen her sister.

 _"Hey…"_

 _Rin turned to face Sakura, the two of them already dressed in their pajamas before turning in for the night. Tomorrow, Sakura would be leaving the Tohsaka mansion, never to return, and would give up the name 'Tohsaka'._

 _She'd become Sakura Matou, and moving into their mansion, become their family's heiress just like Rin and Rin alone could be the Tohsaka Clan's heiress._

 _It was all to make sure that both of them could get the chance to become all they could be, great and powerful magi, a chance Sakura would never get if she stayed with the Tohsaka. But even with that said…there was nothing to be happy about. Not really._

 _It was just…duty. Duty, as magi, and as family of one. And as one last thing to do together as family, they'd gone out today, Rin, Sakura, and their parents, not as magi but as one happy family, and visited a theme park just outside the city. It had been fun, and lots of happy memories were made…_

 _…the last ones they would ever make together._

 _"What?" Rin asked._

 _Sakura tilted her head, and gave a sad smile. "Even if you can't see me," she began. "We'll always be sisters, right?"_

 _Rin didn't answer at once, since she knew that as part of the agreement for Sakura to become the Matou heiress, they couldn't visit or even see each other. But even so…_

 _"Yes," She finally answered. "We'll always be sisters."_

 _Sakura tilted her head again, and nodded slowly. "Goodnight…Rin." She said, much to Rin's surprise, that Sakura didn't call her 'big sister'. But…she wouldn't be able to, come tomorrow, would she?_

 _"And goodbye." Sakura finished, before turning to walk away, towards her room._

 _"…goodbye."_

Rin blinked back tears, and wiped at her eyes furiously. " _And in the next morning, she was gone._ " She thought. " _While we were all asleep, she grabbed some clothes, went downstairs, slipped out a window, and up a tree across the wall, to run away. Run away…she ran away…_ "

Rin wiped her eyes again, and took a deep, hacking breath. " _Did she think…_ " she thought bitterly to herself. " _Did she think that we didn't want her? And if it was going to be like that…if she was going to be given away…she might as well just leave on her own instead…? Oh Sakura…_ "

And the worst part of it all, was how their father had reacted. Oh he had looked, and so had the Matou, but they couldn't find anything, and once they'd given up the search…

 _You have no sister from here on, Rin. A girl who forsakes her family, who would spite the bright future gifted to her, who would shame us all with thoughtless action…it is better to think that she had not existed at all._

Rin had spoken out against her father then and there, only to get slapped in the face for her trouble. It was a shock, both to her and her mother, but as her father had told her immediately afterwards, and her mother had later elaborated on, it was not her place to question her father's decisions, and when the time came, both as a magus and as a parent, she would truly understand.

And as a magus, she understood. But she did not agree, and never would.

Not after what she'd seen what the Matou magecraft truly was like.

 _It wasn't worth it, dad. It wasn't worth anything at all!_

"Rin…are you crying?" Shirou asked, standing in the doorway, Rin so deep in her thoughts she never noticed him come in.

"I…I guess I am." Rin said, wiping at her eyes.

Shirou didn't say anything, he just walked over and placed a bowl of soup on a plate next to Rin, along with a silver spoon. Newton also walked over, looking curiously and comfortingly up at Rin. Staring into the dog's eyes, the words Sakura had spoken in her recording came to mind.

 _Consider Newton here both a congratulation present, as well as ten, no, eleven, twelve, years' worth of birthday presents, big sister._

'Big sister'…even after so long…even after running away…Sakura still considered Rin her big sister.

 _You take care now. Bye._

She still cared. She _cared_.

Sniffing and wiping at her eyes again, Rin reached down and picked Newton up. Staring at the dog as he panted at her, Rin gave a small smile. "Are you sure you'll be fine sticking with me?" she asked.

Newton barked happily at Rin, and smiling ever so wider, Rin brought him closer and hugged him tight. At the same time, she felt Shirou's hands fall comfortingly on her shoulders. "Um," he began. "Do you…do you want to talk?"

"…maybe later." Rin answered. "For now…just…just stay here…with me."

"Alright."

* * *

"What?"

Luvia paused mid-sip, looking at Shirou in surprise. "What did you say just now, Shero?" she asked.

"Rin's little sister," Shirou said, having returned to work as Luvia's part-time butler. "Who ran away a long time ago, sent her a letter. And a gift: A Welsh Corgi."

"Oh?" Luvia said, with veiled interest before taking her sip. "Little sister, huh? And a letter too. Interesting…in this modern world of ours, and assuming that Tohsaka's runaway sister somehow managed to make a life for herself outside of the moonlit world, I'd have expected a phone call, or even a…what do you call them, A-Mails, or something?"

"E-Mails," Shirou corrected.

"Just so." Luvia said with a thankful nod. "But instead, she sent a letter. And with a gift, to boot. I wonder what that might say."

"Rin thinks that Sakura still might care about her."

Luvia's eyes briefly slid over towards Shirou, and then away again. "And yet," she began. "She chose something that while not as…detached, as those E-Mails seem to me to be, was also not as personal as a phone call. Indeed, I daresay that sending a letter was a way to get in touch while maintaining a comfortable distance."

"Do you really think so?" Shirou asked.

"It seems to me that it is so." Luvia said with another sip. "Could you perhaps give me some context, Shero dear?"

"…um, what kind of context?"

"The contents of the letter, perhaps?"

"I didn't read it." Shirou said. "And even if I did, it wouldn't be right to talk about it, even to friends, sorry."

Luvia glanced at Shirou at that, but while he fidgeted, he stood firm regardless. Finally, Luvia smiled. "You're a good man, Shero." She said.

Shirou smiled and looked down. "I'm not that good." He said with a sigh.

Luvia smiled wider. "Modest too," she said. "If you would give Tohsaka advice, then it would be not to push too much. It seems to me that while her little sister might care to send word and even a gift, the nature of the method she used to make contact indicates that the little sister isn't quite willing to mend ties."

"Is that really alright?" Shirou asked. "I mean…family should…um…I don't know. It just doesn't seem right."

"…Tohsaka's little sister may not be a magus." Luvia said. "But she grew up – in part, from the sound of things – in a magi household. She knows what our calling involves, and the price it demands us to pay. If she has succeeded in building a new life for herself, then she is likely unwilling to risk it all in case Tohsaka should prove…demanding."

"Rin's not like that!" Shirou protested.

" _You_ know she isn't." Luvia said firmly, and Shirou was taken aback. "And as much as I hate to come to her defense, I know it too. But does the little sister know it? Most likely not."

"…I…see…yes, that makes sense." Shirou finally conceded. "I don't like it…but…I can see and understand how it might go like that."

"If you wish to support Tohsaka in this time," Luvia said after a few moments. "Then by all means, do so. But if you would accept my advice, simply _support her_. There is no need for you to take the initiative, or to guide things along. In situations such as this, it is best that the parties concerned be the ones to resolve it themselves. External interference will only become a hindrance."

Shirou nodded silently but glumly, while Luvia returned to her tea. Personally, she felt bad leading Shero along by the nose like this, by deliberately masking a false assumption with a shield of ignorance. After all, it wasn't like Luvia didn't know who they were talking about. Sakura Tohsaka was a good friend and a respected colleague, after all.

But, that was also why she could put up the deception. Luvia liked Shero, but not as much as she liked Sakura, to say nothing of Rin Tohsaka. For Sakura's sake, this deception was necessary.

Of course, that did not mean Luvia was not concerned for Sakura, or the fallout of whatever scheme she'd set into motion.

" _My dear cousin_ ," she thought, while taking a calming drink of her tea. " _Just what are you planning?_ "

* * *

A/N

I'm back.

Rin gets blindsided as the ghosts of the past arrive bearing gifts, while Luvia simultaneously plays along and wonders at what her cousin is planning.

That said…is Sakura even planning anything at all?


	9. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Alea Iacta Est

Chapter 8

Lord Waver El-Melloi II sighed as he found himself standing before the great wooden doors leading into the office of Lady Reines El-Melloi Archisorte. He'd been there before, many times in fact, which is why he knew he had to brace himself each time he entered.

" _Stuck up bastard's been dead for over a decade, but he still looms over me like a giant._ " Waver mentally grumbled while straightening his tie followed by his coat lapels. And then with a deep breath, he stepped forward, and knocked on the doors twice.

"Enter." Reines said from inside, and without a word Waver pushed the doors open and stepped into her office.

At first glance, the office wasn't much different from the offices given to the other powers-that-be of the Clock Tower. Indeed, Waver's own office wasn't much too different. The marbled floor was covered with rich Persian carpets, the walls tastefully paneled in wood, the furniture all handcrafted European hardwood, and the gas lights set in elegant, bronze niches and arms.

Even the adolescent sitting behind the desk wasn't that unusual. As long as they could command the power and influence of their station effectively, it wasn't unknown for surprisingly young family heads to wield power. The same went for the maid made from liquid metal standing silently by her side, as there were lords and names with stranger, and more esoteric, or even terrifying mystic codes by their side.

No, what set _this_ office apart – for Waver at least – was the gigantic, floor-to-ceiling portrait mounted immediately behind the desk. Dressed in simple, but elegant attire of dark hue, and cast with a simple and solemn pose and expression that only served to underline the nobility and dignity of his figure, the image of late Lord Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald stared over his little sister and at any petitioner that came before her.

Officially, Reines placed it there to honor her brother. In Waver's personal opinion though…

" _Damn it,_ " Waver internally grumbled while struggling not to flinch at Kayneth's cold eyes seemingly judging him and commanding him to show respect. " _Putting Kayneth's portrait there to intimidate anyone who thinks to take advantage of her youth was clever of her…but for fuck's sake, how long and how much more is it going to take until Kayneth stops casting his shadow over me?_ "

"Brother," Reines said, busy signing a series of documents and then stamping them with the El-Melloi Seal. "Is there something you need today?"

"Just clarification on something my sources told me." Waver said, moving to stand by and look out of the windows (and to get out of Kayneth's line of sight).

"And what might that be?"

Waver didn't answer at once, playing with one of the drawn curtains' silken cord with one hand for a few moments. "Apparently," he began. "You extended a dinner invitation to one Shirou Emiya of the Department of General Fundamentals."

"Ah, so you've heard of it then." Reines said, while stamping another document. "Hmm…the rumor mill is working as quick as ever, I see."

"So it's true then?"

"It is."

"…may I ask why you've suddenly invited him to dinner?"

"Speak your mind, brother."

"I'd rather not."

Reines laughed, and Waver fought the urge to twitch. Compared to Kayneth's mocking laughter, Reines' laughter was like water splashing over rocks…but no less terrifying at times. _This_ was one of those times, though today Waver wasn't afraid for himself, no, he was afraid for that young man from Japan who might end up paying for his stepfather's actions.

"Then," Reines began. "I shall say what you want to say in your place. Be grateful."

Waver said nothing, and after a moment Reines continued. "You think I intend to use the dinner invitation to draw Mister Shirou Emiya into a trap." She said. "And thence take from him due compensation for his father's actions during the fourth Heaven's Feel ritual nearly two decades ago, which resulted in the death of our revered older brother, and the destruction of our family's crest. Or am I wrong?"

Again, Waver stayed silent. Reines silently regarded one of her papers before several moments, and then signed and stamped it. "You worry too much, brother." She finally said.

"Do I?"

"You are partly responsible for our older brother's fate as well." Reines replied. "Had you not stolen the catalyst for the King of Conquerors, then perhaps events might have developed in a less…negative, fashion as they had. And yet…here you are. Not merely alive, but with a place in the El-Melloi, and as Lord El-Melloi II no less."

Reines paused, and then resting her head sideways against clasped hands, smiled at Waver. "Do you not think I would extend such…magnanimity, to Mister Emiya?" she asked.

"He is Kiritsugu Emiya's son." Waver finally said.

"And he is not Kiritsugu Emiya." Reines said with a nod. "His father's actions demand restitution, but not to the point the son be treated as though he is his father. We can do better than that."

"Just what are you planning, Reines?"

Reines laughed and sat back. "You will see soon enough." She said, and returned to her work. "I shall have you join us at dinner tonight, as my chaperone. It would not do for such young and unmarried individuals such as myself and Mister Emiya to be left alone together, would it?"

"I suppose not."

"Good," Reines said with a nod. "Then I expect you will be at your best behavior tonight, brother. You may go."

Waver sighed, and rubbing at his head, nodded before turning to leave.

* * *

"So…care to explain?"

Shirou sighed and rubbed the back of his head. He and Rin were sitting in their living room, Newton napping next to Rin on the couch across from Shirou. "I'm…not, sure…either, why she's inviting me." Shirou finally said.

"How did you even meet Lady El-Melloi anyway?" Rin asked.

 _"Lord El-Melloi…"_

 _"It's Lord El-Melloi **II**! Get it right!"_

 _Surprisingly, it wasn't Waver who was shouting the correction this time, but a petite blonde in dark clothes standing next to him and a maid made from some kind of silver metal. That same blonde promptly and childishly kicked Shirou on a shin, causing the young man to jump away with a yell._

 _"You'd best be thankful I'm the one who overheard the mistake." The blonde snapped, repeatedly stabbing at the air with a finger pointed at Shirou. "There are other people who'd be less forgiving of the mistake, and while you _probably_ won't get into trouble for it, it'd cause a lot of trouble for my family, and especially for my brother. So get it right, got it!"_

 _"Right, right…" Shirou grumbled. "Um…Lord El-Melloi II…who's this snappy kid?"_

 _That led to another kick on the shin, and Shirou jumping away in pain again. Waver ran a hand over his face. "This 'snappy kid', if you must know," he said, and ignoring the annoyed glare on the blonde's face. "Is my little sister, and the true heiress to the El-Melloi lineage."_

 _"Your sister?" Shirou echoed._

 _"I am Reines El-Melloi Archisorte." The blonde – Reines – proudly proclaimed. "Be honored, that I have chosen to make an acquaintance of you, boor. Though, if my brother deems you fit to be his acquaintance, then it is only meet that I do so as well."_

Rin stared at Shirou deadpan. Shirou stared back. Rin sighed. "She called you a 'boor'?" she asked.

"Yes."

"…okay…moving on," Rin said with a cough. "What happened after that?"

"…that's all you're going to say?"

"Do you expect me to say something else?"

"Well," Shirou said, scratching the back of his head. "There's all that stuff Miss Archisorte said."

"She said all that needed to be said." Rin said with a shrug, though her expression quickly turned serious. "And she does have a good point. The Clock Tower's a place where hierarchy and proper protocol are extremely important. Remember that, Shirou."

"I know, I know." Shirou said with a sigh. "I'll keep that in mind. And it was an honest mistake."

"I know." Rin said with a nod. "And that's let you get off lightly this one time. But given how things work here…you shouldn't take any chances, alright?"

Shirou nodded. "Got it." He said.

Rin nodded as well. "Okay then," she said. "Anyway, as I was asking earlier, what happened after that?"

"Well," Shirou began. "I asked Lord El-Melloi II for a leave of absence so we could focus on removing the halo, only he refused me. I asked why, and he said he was doing me a favor."

"A favor?"

"Apparently," Shirou said. "If I went on a leave of absence for his halo, it'd reflect badly on you, as it is both your mystic code and your experiment that left it like this. Um…no offense."

"None taken."

"And in any case," Shirou continued. "It wasn't as though it was causing me harm so…he said just leave it there until you find a way to get it off. People will get used to it soon enough."

"True," Rin agreed. "And compared to some of the people in the Department of Creation…"

Rin trailed off, and silence fell on the couple for several moments. "And how did all these lead to you getting invited to dinner by Lady El-Melloi?" she asked.

"Well, that's…"

 _With another nod, Waver walked away, Shirou soundlessly reaching out to stop him before letting him arm fall with a sigh of exasperation. Scratching at his head, Shirou made to leave…_

 _…only to find himself staring into the icy eyes of Reines El-Melloi Archisorte._

 _Blinking, Shirou fought the urge to step back, and instead met the young woman's gaze head on. The stalemate proceeded for a long moment, and then Reines leaned forward, causing Shirou to flinch back. Reines smiled with amusement._

 _"It's nice to meet you, Mister _Emiya_." She said, and Shirou blinked at how she had known his name. "For an unrefined boor" Reines said. "You're actually quite handsome. And your lack of refinement actually suits you in a good way. How unexpected…and how very interesting…"_

 _Chuckling, Reines nodded and extended a hand. Blinking in surprise, Shirou took and shook Reines' hand, the blonde smiling wider at him as he did so._

 _"I shall have you join me for dinner one of these days, Mister Emiya." Reines said. "I'm sure it will be very much worth your time."_

 _"Um…yes, of course. I'll be honored…my lady."_

 _Chuckling again, Reines tilted her head and left, her metal maid bowing politely to Shirou before following its mistress._

"I'm…not sure what to think about that." Rin said with a worried tone and expression.

"So I shouldn't go?" Shirou asked, and Rin gave him an unhappy look.

"Of course you should." Rin said. "It'd be very insulting if you didn't. And that's not going to say very good about you. Whether about your sense of manners, or your prospects for the future."

"But…"

"Even if it is a trap," Rin said, while leaning back and crossing her arms. "The El-Melloi aren't the kind to invite people for dinner only to kill them or something along that line. No, they're too…refined, for that. It's more likely they'll explain whatever grudge they have with you, and offer you a chance to make up for it peacefully over a good meal. If they get violent, it'll come the day after, and not during or even immediately after. Unless you start something, of course. Which I doubt you will."

"…why wouldn't they start something during the dinner, or right after?" Shirou asked.

"Rules of hospitality," Rin answered. "To do so would say badly about them, and how they treat their guests. Another way to put it is, well, the dinner would be like a parlay. And the truce that comes with such a thing has been considered as sacred and inviolate since ancient times."

"Yeah, I think I get what you mean." Shirou said, and nodding slowly himself. "Someone comes over despite the risk to try and settle things peacefully, and so long as they don't get violent themselves, then even if the issue doesn't get settled, it's only…um…respectful, to the person's bravery to go to their enemy that you don't attack them when they leave, and give them a chance to be ready…or something like that."

"Pretty much," Rin said.

"But," Shirou continued. "What kind of grudge could they have with me? Or was it what I said back then?"

"I don't know." Rin said worriedly. "It could be the latter, but it doesn't seem like it. As for the former…I don't know. I really don't…"

"Rin…"

Rin sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose before looking at Shirou again. "You should have told me about that…meeting, with Lord El-Melloi II and Lady El-Melloi." She said. "If this is because of that, then I might have been able to do something – as your master in a magecraft apprenticeship – to nip it in the bud. And if not…well, we'd have more time to look into things."

"…sorry…" Shirou said before rallying. "But, I didn't really think it'd turn out like this."

"I suppose not." Rin said with a sigh. "Who could have expected it would have?"

Again, silence fell over them, and then Shirou sighed. "So," he began. "What now?"

"Well," Rin began. "You obviously have to attend tonight's dinner. Unusually short notice…thankfully, you have formal wear which I'll have to iron before…"

"Ah…no offence but…" Shirou delicately interrupted. "I'll iron them. I mean…well, they're my clothes so…"

Rin gave Shirou a glare. "You just don't want to risk me burning your clothes with an iron, do you?" she asked.

"…I didn't say that."

"Yeah, but you were thinking it."

"…um…let's just move on…"

"…fine." Rin said with a roll of her eyes, though the slight twitch of her lips lightened the atmosphere considerably. "Clothes aside…ever been to a formal dinner before?"

"Western-style?" Shirou asked back. "Then no. Japanese-style? More than once."

"That should be good enough for a foundation." Rin said with a nod. "At the very least, your manners will hold, and if they come off as foreign in some ways, well, you can use honesty as a shield. You _are_ Japanese, after all. Thankfully, Japanese have a reputation – if not a stereotype – for being very polite and well-mannered. That should help too if you seem too polite."

"Okay…"

Rin thought for a few moments, tapping her chin in thought. And then she glanced at the wall clock, and nodded slowly. "We still have a few hours before you need to prepare." She said, getting up from the couch. "We'll use that time to practice a formal, Western-style dinner. Pay attention, Shirou."

Shirou nodded, and smiled gratefully as he got to his feet. "I'll follow your lead, Rin." He said. "And thanks."

Rin smiled back. "It's no problem." She said, and Shirou smiled wider. Newton then barked in happy sympathy, though he looked curious at Shirou's smile fading at his bark.

"Then…" he began. "About your sister…"

"That's a problem for later." Rin interrupted firmly. "Don't worry, I've got it covered, and I've got ample time for it. Your problem though…we don't have much time."

"…I guess not." Shirou said with a sigh. "Still…if you ever need to talk…I'm here."

Rin nodded, and smiled softly. "Now then," she began. "Shall we begin?"

"Yes, let's."

* * *

Several hours later, Shirou found himself surprisingly calm as he arrived at Reines El-Melloi Archisorte's residence in the suburb, a large mansion built in the Neoclassical style, surrounded by well-tended greenery behind iron fencing. Walking through the open gate after a short word with the guards and confirmation of his invitation, Shirou made his way towards the porch and up the stairs to the door, where he knocked thrice with the knocker.

Moments later and it was opened by a maid in a starched dress of black and white, who bowed Shirou in with a polite greeting. Reines and Waver waited for Shirou at the base of the staircase dominating the foyer, and twin files of maids and manservants bowed Shirou – who was struggling not to gape – as he approached the El-Melloi siblings.

"Lady El-Melloi," Shirou said with a bow. "Lord El-Melloi II, thank you for inviting me to dinner this evening. And I have to say, you're looking quite vibrant tonight, my lady."

At the same time, Shirou presented Reines with a bouquet of yellow roses, along with a gift-wrapped bottle of Louis XIII de Remy Martin. "My, my," Reines said with a smile and twinkle in her eyes. "Aren't you sweet? And I must say, you are a man of good taste."

" _More like Rin has good taste._ " Shirou silently thought. " _Seriously? One thousand eight hundred pounds for a single bottle of alcohol? What the hell?_ "

"Yes," Waver said with a nod, looking and sounding as sterilely polite as Reines and Shirou did, though there was a sympathetic light in his eyes while looking at the latter. "We'll be sure to have a toast with you tonight. For now, welcome to our home, and if you'd follow me, let us retire to the music room as our meal is prepared."

Shirou gave a small bow, and followed Reines and Waver to the music room. A piano dominated said room, though shelves along the walls held violins and flutes and other instruments along with compositions, and portraits and busts of famous musicians looked out from between the shelves and on plinths. A manservant arrived with white wine, and with a bow left at a gesture from Waver.

Waver poured them all wine, and raised a glass in a toast. Shirou parroted Waver's words, and took a drink…

"Oh enough!" Reines suddenly and sharply said, causing Shirou to choke. "There's only the three of us here, and none of the stuffy old men and women who'd take us to task for speaking our minds! The formalities are done, so let's say what we want to say."

Shirou and Waver gaped at Reines, who crossed her arms and unhappily tapped her foot against the floor. "You think I enjoy putting on airs like that?" she asked. "It's tiring you know, and very boring."

"Actually…yes, I think you do." Waver said deadpan, and Reines rolled her eyes.

"Yes…and that shows what you know."

"That was a joke."

There was a moment of silence, Shirou looking back and forth between the two deadpan siblings…and then the moment broke, as Reines and Waver shared a moment of laughter. "Moving on," Reines said, turning to Shirou. "Welcome to my house. I wasn't sure you'd accept my invitation, and I'm grateful you did. And you're very well-dressed too. Perhaps you really are a man of good taste."

"…huh?" Shirou managed, and Reines rolled her eyes.

"Boor," she muttered, and Waver coughed.

"I assume Miss Tohsaka gave you advice on what kind of flowers and gifts to bring?" he asked.

Shirou looked uncomfortable, but he straightened. "Yes, she did." He said. "And I don't think there's anything wrong with asking for help or advice when you need it."

"Good," Waver said with a wave of his hand. "Never be ashamed to ask for help. Pretending to know what you don't really know could get you killed…"

"Not to mention it's more insulting to present falsities and pretensions as opposed to humbly admitting your faults and asking for proper guidance from those who can provide it." Reines said while taking a sip. "Your clothes though, they're very well-made. I am fairly certain you cannot have procured them in so short a time, so…magic…?"

"Oh this?" Shirou said, gesturing at his business ensemble. "No, I had these made before I left Japan. Tailored, though from a local tailor. Business formal is – as far as I know – standard all throughout the world."

"Fair enough," Reines conceded while taking another sip. "And there's nothing to be ashamed of for patronizing local businesses. You could say it's your obligation to your home."

"I…suppose so, my lady."

"Lady Reines will do…in company such as ours." Reines said with a smile, and Shirou sighed and nodded before giving a smile.

"Very well," he said. "Lady Reines."

Reines nodded. "My compliments then" he said. "To your master's good taste and example provided."

"…I'll be sure to pass it on."

"Indeed,"

There was a knock on the door, and heads turned. "Enter." Waver said, and a manservant entered with a bow.

"My lords and lady," he said. "Dinner is served."

* * *

Sitting at a table in an out-of-the-way parlor, Waver, Shirou, and Reines began their dinner with a serving of green salad as a cold starter. "So, Mister Emiya," Reines began. "How are you finding your days at the Clock Tower?"

"Challenging," Shirou began. "Compared to my self-study prior to coming to London, or even studying under Rin, my classes at the Clock Tower are on a completely different level. That said, also familiar in a way."

"Oh?"

Shirou nodded while chewing on a lettuce leaf and swallowed before answering. "Well," he said. "It's a very academic setting so…not so different really, from high school."

"Oh yes," Waver said with a slow nod. "You completed your country's mandatory educational curriculum before coming here, didn't you?"

"Yes, yes I did." Shirou said. "So did Rin. We waited until we'd graduated from high school before coming here."

"Nothing wrong with that." Waver said. "Even with the masquerade…no, especially because of the masquerade, even magi need to know enough about the mundane world to be able to provide an accurate façade to hide the supernatural aspects of their lives behind."

Shirou nodded in agreement, as did Reines. "And how has your apprenticeship under…Rin Tohsaka, wasn't it, progressed?"

"That's…that is correct." Shirou said. "My apprenticeship…well, I can't give details, but I have to say I've learned a lot from under Rin so far. Her…teachings, have been very helpful refining my basic mysteries, and also finding and prioritizing my specializations."

"Oh?" Reines said. "The Tohsaka are similar to the Edelfelt, are they not? Jewel mages? Though from the sound of things, you have different abilities compared to her."

"That's…that is true." Shirou said with a nod. "Though Rin also tells me that it's not uncommon for masters and apprentices to have different skillsets, and the former simply guides the latter to fully explore their potential and provide a general example to follow. They don't have to learn and use the same magecraft as each other."

"Indeed," Reines said with a nod of her own. "It's not uncommon at all."

"Magecraft aside though," Waver began. "How have you been adjusting to life here in London?"

"My English has gotten a whole lot better compared to back in Japan." Shirou said with a small laugh. "All the day to day practice is paying off, I'd say."

Reines laughed at that. "It certainly does." She said. "That said, you still have quite the accent, Mister Emiya. Though, it's not something that can be overcome quickly. I shall be charitable and allow you that much."

"Thank you, Lady Reines."

"Apart from your English, though," Waver continued. "How much different has life been in London compared to life in your home city…Fuyuki, wasn't it?"

"Actually…now that I think about it…there's not much different." Shirou said. "I'm guessing the comparisons on how British and Japanese society are similar weren't all that far off…or inaccurate, should I say."

Reines gave a dismissive gesture. "Speak freely," she said. "It's easier for you, and in a way, so it is for me."

"Thank you, Lady Reines."

Reines nodded as maids arrived to take away their dirty plates and utensils, and replaced them. The next course was then served, French Onion Soup as a hot starter. "But really," Waver pressed. "You don't have any problems with adapting to life here in London?"

"Hmm…well, I wouldn't exactly call it a problem…"

"Oh?"

Shirou spooned himself soup twice before answering. "Well, we are in Britain." He said. "Asian food and ingredients aren't easy to find here."

"Ah, I see."

"Though I imagine you've found a way to cope, Mister Emiya." Reines observed.

"I'm not unfamiliar with western cuisine." Shirou said with a shrug. "Rin even more so. Though, if we ever want to eat something more familiar, well, it's only half an hour to Chinatown using public transport."

"Ah…very resourceful." Reines observed, and Shirou bowed in thanks for the compliment. "You know your way around the kitchen by the sound of things, then?"

"I can." Shirou said before a wistful expression appeared on his face. "Dad…wasn't a very good cook. I had to pick up the slack."

Reines raised an eyebrow. "Your father…he is no longer with us?" she asked.

Shirou nodded glumly. "He died several years ago." He said.

"I see." Reines said while briefly closing her eyes. "I apologize for bringing it up."

Shirou nodded, and the rest of the course was eaten in silence. "So tell me, Mister Emiya," Reines began as the maids again took away their dirty bowls and silverware to replace them with clean ones, and began to serve breaded fish and chips for the fish course. "What are your plans for the future?"

"I'm not particularly ambitious." Shirou admitted. "But I don't intend to underachieve either."

"In short," Waver said. "You simply want to be all you can be."

"I do." Shirou agreed.

"A modest but worthy goal." Reines said with an impressed tone and nod. "If I might be so bold, you may want to transfer to the Department of Modern Magecraft Theories once you're finished with the standard, basic curriculum at your current department. My brother runs the former you see, and I'm sure you are aware of his reputation."

"Yes," Shirou said with a nod, glancing at Waver as he did so. "One of the best teachers of the age, I've heard. All his students so far have been acknowledged as the most promising of their generation, even if they didn't start out so well."

"I did my best, that's all." Waver said. "And so did they."

"And that's all that's really needed." Shirou said, causing Waver to pause and meet Shirou's eyes. The two men stared at each other for several moments, and then Waver gave a small smile.

"So you understand." He said. "I'll be putting you through the wringer if you ever transfer to my department Mister Emiya, though I suggest you seek your master's opinion first. She may already have plans for you, and I wouldn't be so discourteous to derail them considering you are _her_ apprentice."

"Yeah…yes, that's true."

Reines nodded in agreement. "It is simply professional courtesy." She agreed. "Though, once you have achieved that, then what?"

"Eh…um…sorry…I apologize for…"

"Again, Mister Emiya," Reines said with a smile. "Please, speak your mind. Relax."

"Yes…um…" Shirou fumbled before coughing. "I don't really think becoming all you can be is something that has a real endpoint. It's…a, lifelong goal, I'd say."

"Hmm…" Reines hummed with a measuring smile. "A lifelong goal, you say? How very much like a magus to give such an answer."

"Well, I am studying to be a magus."

Reines laughed at that. "Indeed you are." She said. "In short, you plan to make a career out of it. That is good. You understand what our calling demands of you, and have no illusions that blind you to the challenges you must face. That said, surely you expect more from life than that."

"Well…I…"

"Is there perhaps some truth then," Reines said. "In what Waver tells me, that the relationship between you and your master is more than…professional?"

Shirou laughed weakly, but didn't answer, though he did take a drink of white wine to brace himself. Reines laughed at the sight. "Oh very well," she said. "I won't pry any further. Who knows? It might even work out for the best. Two magi with two different paths to take their skills on. Two different forms of Thaumaturgy to inherit…I'm sure you understand, don't you?"

Shirou nodded slowly. "Yes I do, Lady Reines." He said.

"Good." Reines said while stabbing a chip with a fork, and then popping it into her mouth. After a moment, Waver coughed, and then turned to address Shirou.

"On another note," he said. "I'm also aware that you're employed in part by Luviagelita Edelfelt, and are acquainted with her inner circle. Now, I wouldn't pry into the details of their circle, or for what they discuss between them, but tell me, how do you find working for Miss Edelfelt?"

"Well, that's…"

* * *

A/N

And let's end that there, and carry on at the next chapter.

Reines actually does keep a gigantic portrait of her brother Kayneth in canon, and it is also behind her desk. Thank you, _El-Melloi Case Files_.

Surprisingly friendly, isn't she? Now imagine what happens when she drops the bomb about the history between El-Melloi and Emiya.


	10. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Alea Iacta Est

Chapter 9

Maids took away dirty plates and utensils, and served the next course: Shepherd's Pie with a side of mushy peas. For a time, the diners ate in silence, and then taking a drink of red wine to wash down a mouthful of potatoes and lamb, Reines spoke up.

"Tell me, Mister Emiya." She began. "Am I correct in understanding that your father had settled into peaceful retirement in the years prior to his death?"

Shirou blinked, and swallowed before answering. "Yes," he said, before taking a drink of red wine himself. "Dad was retired, more or less."

"Oh?"

"He went on a couple of business trips overseas a few years before he died." Shirou uncomfortably said. "I don't know the details, he didn't tell, probably because I was too young at the time…and when I was old enough he'd…passed on. So I couldn't really look into them."

"I see." Reines said with a slow nod. Waver glanced warily between his sister and Shirou, a heavy silence falling across the table for several moments, broken only by the clinking of silverware against china. "I truly apologize for having to bring up painful memories, but it seems to me that it is time to proceed to the matter I invited you to dinner for."

"…yes." Shirou said with a deep breath. "Let's get this over with."

Reines smiled reassuringly. "Rest assured, Mister Emiya," she said. "I would prefer a peaceful and nonviolent resolution to what issues lie between us. And even if that is not the case, I have welcomed you into my home and offered you my food and drink, which you have accepted. By rules of hospitality and indeed, of parley, you are safe until dawn tomorrow after you depart from my home."

Shirou nodded, but didn't say anything. Reines took another bite of her pie and a drink of wine before continuing. "From what I've been told, Mister Emiya," she said. "And from what I have seen of you tonight, you are a good and honorable man. Awfully deep-hearted, and seemingly ill-suited for our world…if not for your having survived a Heaven's Feel ritual."

"My…survival, owes much to Rin, as well." Shirou said, speaking in a formal tone.

"Indeed," Reines said with a nod. "As I said, good and honorable, to acknowledge your previous weakness and the contributions of others to your benefit. But, contributions are meaningless if there is no will to use them properly. And contributions would never have been given had you not the potential for them to have any meaning. My brother knows that all too well. Indeed, before he was Lord El-Melloi II, when he was merely Waver Velvet, he was living proof of that fact."

"I see."

"Let us get to the point." Waver said with a sigh. "Shirou…you already know your father was a Master during the Fourth Holy Grail War, correct?"

"Yes." Shirou said with a nod. "I found out during the Fifth Holy Grail War. He was one of three Masters who survived. The other was Kirei Kotomine, and the third is…well, you."

"Indeed I am." Waver said with a nod of his own at Shirou. "You know…in a way, you remind me of myself, nearly twenty years ago."

"In what way?" Shirou asked.

"A young man shaken free of youthful illusions and misconceptions," Waver answered while swirling the wine in his glass. "And then stepping onto the stage in his own right, finally is willing to do what needs to be done to make his name."

Falling silent, Waver set down his wineglass, and reaching forward took his glass of water and drank from it. "Don't tell me that your experiences in the war didn't change you." He said softly. "That is completely and utterly impossible."

"No…you're right." Shirou said just as softly, and looked down for a moment. "I…had to face a lot of facts back then. Gave me…perspective, you could say…but…"

Shirou trailed off, and briefly closing his eyes took a deep breath. And when he opened his eyes, they were full of resolve. "What dad passed on to me," he said. "They weren't wrong."

Waver and Reines silently regarded Shirou for a few moments, and then his eyes met Reines. "What do you need from me?" he asked.

Reines smiled. "Our…eldest brother," she began, referring to herself and Waver with a hand. "The late Lord Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald, also participated in the fourth Heaven's Feel ritual. He clashed with your father several times, a series of confrontations that ultimately resulted in my brother and his fiancée's deaths. I will not hold you responsible for that, as they knew and accepted the risks when they joined the ritual."

"But…?"

"Your father's method to defeat our brother," Reines continued. "A _conceptual weapon_ , unfortunately destroyed our crest. I'm sure you understand what that means, do you not?"

Shirou sighed and nodded. "Yes, I understand." He said.

Of course…the crest, what else could it have been about? The most valuable possession of any magus lineage, the crystallization of generations of their research and passed on from one generation to the next and added onto by every generation which inherited it. Such was their value that even when their bearers were killed, so long as the crest could be recovered then their deaths could be considered mere inconveniences.

And their destruction or theft cause for vendettas.

"Within reason," Shirou delicately began. "I am willing to provide compensation."

Reines smiled again. "Mister Emiya," she began. "I am not an unreasonable woman. In a way, my brother here also contributed in part to our elder brother's downfall, and yet, here he is: Lord Waver El-Melloi II. I am of course willing to negotiate terms of compensation for your father's direct and immediate role in the destruction of my family's crest, and even to extend the courtesy of allowing your master to represent you and express her own opinions, in said negotiations."

At a gesture from their mistress, a maid brought forward an unsealed envelope on a silver tray, and presented it to Shirou. Shirou took it, and nodding at the maid, pulled out a letter from the envelope. Scanning its contents, he nodded at the formal invitation to Rin to discuss Shirou's compensation for the destruction of the El-Melloi crest.

"I'll be sure to give it to her once I return home for the night." He said, while folding the letter once more and returning it to the envelope.

Reines nodded as Shirou put the envelope into a coat pocket, and clapped her hands. "Now then," she said. "Now that our business for tonight is concluded, let us continue our meal. It would not do for it go cold and thus be wasted, and there is still dessert to follow."

Shirou smiled and nodded, and without another word, they returned to their meal.

* * *

Waver slid the record into place, and pressing a switch gently put the stylus to the record. Moments later, and the notes of Chopin's Nocturne in B major (Op. 32), No. 1 were drifting through the air.

"Trying to put me to sleep, brother?" Reines asked from where she was seated on an armchair.

Waver ignored her, and instead poured two glasses of Bourbon. Bringing them over, he handed one to Reines while keeping the other for himself. Reines nodded in thanks. "I think that went well, don't you?" she asked after taking a drink.

"As well as could be expected from Shirou Emiya." Waver said. "He's a good man."

"Good men rarely prosper." Reines said wistfully, swirling the whiskey in her glass.

"…maybe," Waver agreed eventually. "But he just might be among the rarity that do."

"What about you?" Reines asked.

"I'm no good, aren't I?" Waver asked back with a mocking smile. "I'm rather too invested with the fate of the El-Melloi. Put another way, I have a responsibility to the people whose name I share."

Reines laughed at that. "You're too modest." She said.

"Reines, you're drunk."

Reines laughed again. "Maybe," she admitted, and took another drink.

The siblings silently savored their alcohol to the sound of Chopin's composition for a few minutes, Reines seated on her armchair, and Waver standing next to her. "What is the least you will accept as compensation?" Waver asked.

"Future obligation will be sufficient." Reines answered. "It will have to be worded better, and I'm sure Rin Tohsaka will be presenting conditions of her own. Hopefully nothing too onerous, though if need be I could throw her a bone to get her to lighten up."

"A bone?"

Reines smiled and took a drink. "I have my sources too, brother." She said. "Let's just say while I was brushing up on Mister Emiya's background and his circumstances, I noticed that his master has been putting out feelers of her own."

"Oh?"

"You have not heard?" Reines said with mock surprise. "If so, then I will not spoil the surprise for you. I'm sure you will find out soon enough."

"…I suppose I will." Waver said, and took a drink.

Reines lips twitched with amusement, but said nothing.

* * *

"Crest…" Rin echoed. "Your father destroyed the El-Melloi Crest during the Fourth Holy Grail War?"

"Yeah, that's what they said."

Rin let her face fall into her hands. "This is a complete and utter disaster." She groaned. "Do you have any idea how much trouble that is going to cause?"

"I know how valuable a crest is." Shirou said. "I also know the El-Melloi are a very…powerful, family in the Mages Association."

"Understatement of the century, Shirou." Rin said with mixed frustration and anger. "The El-Melloi were among the few families on speaking terms with the Barthomeloi…but a while back their fortunes plummeted before making a miraculous recovery thanks to the current Lord El-Melloi II. And now I know why."

Shirou stayed silent as Rin rubbed her face. "Thankfully," she finally said with a sigh. "It seems Lady El-Melloi is a reasonable sort, if she's willing to negotiate. Though she could also only be using negotiation as a polite placeholder for dictation."

"She…didn't seem to be like that."

"You never know."

Shirou looked uncomfortable while Rin rubbed her face again. After a few moments, she glanced at the invitation from Reines, and read it through once more. "…thankful if you would join me to discuss terms…" she murmured. "…afternoon tea…she sure loves to invite people over, doesn't she?"

"Is that really a bad thing?"

"Well, it's a chance to show off just how rich and powerful she is." Rin said with a shrug. "And of course, it invokes parlay, so it also guarantees a peaceful meeting. Unless one party or another violates the truce of course…"

"Do you think she would?"

"Probably not," Rin admitted. "Which is also probably the whole point. If the invited party were to break parlay, then no matter their success they'd be pariahs for such despicable behavior."

"Sneaky,"

"Yes, it is." Rin agreed.

"Will you go?"

"Of course I will." Rin snapped. "As I've said before, you can't turn down invitations like this. Also, my failing to participate in negotiations will likely be seen as me washing my hands of your fate. Since you've already agreed to…compensate, El-Melloi for their crest, then if I don't negotiate in my capacity as your magecraft master, then they can dictate terms to you with no margin of choice for you at all."

"That's not…" Shirou fumbled. "That's not fair at all."

"That's how these things work." Rin said. "And that's why I'll go to this…tea party, or whatever, that Lady El-Melloi's inviting me to in a few days."

"I'll go with you." Shirou said at once.

"Of course you will." Rin said. "As the one whose future is at stake you have the right to be there. Keep in mind though, that in that situation you can't speak out of turn. In short, speak only when spoken to."

"…okay…"

Rin bit her thumb in frustration a few times. "Should I have not offered compensation, or something?" Shirou asked eventually, and Rin gave him a deadpan look.

"And potentially cause El-Melloi to declare vendetta on you?" she asked back. "Even if you had offered to compensate after the fact, then we wouldn't be able to negotiate at all, and terms would no doubt have been harsher because of your earlier refusal and the declared vendetta."

"Right, right."

Rin sighed and slumped backwards. "As if I don't already have so much on my plate." She moaned. "I tracked the package, by the way."

"Package?" Shirou echoed, and Rin gestured with her head. Shirou glanced in the indicated direction, to where Newton was sleeping next to his food bowl. "Oh…I see. What did you find out?"

"It was sent from San Francisco, California, in the United States." Rin said while slumping forwards.

"…that's rather strange, isn't it?" Shirou asked after a moment. "I mean…your sister was a runaway. She wouldn't have had anything or anyone to count on. And so…how did she manage to go to the USA?"

"…I don't know." Rin murmured.

"Are we sure it really is your sister?" Shirou asked. "Or could it be someone is using her name to get to you?"

"No…that was her voice on the recording…" Rin murmured. "There's no mistaking it. Though…it could also have been faked…but how? How could they know what she sounded like? How could they know about her? And what could they possibly be after to go after me like that?"

Shirou looked away, and Rin took a deep breath. "So many questions," she said, and sitting up. "So many answers to find. And so little time."

* * *

The days moved by quickly, and before Shirou realized it, he was once again at Reines El-Melloi Archisorte's suburban residence. Only this time, Rin was with him, and Waver El-Melloi II was absent.

The three of them sat in the gardens behind the mansion, their table placed under a large canopy to protect them from the afternoon Sun. Maids poured tea into teacups, and a platter of sweetmeats was placed before them.

"You're looking well today, Miss Tohsaka." Reines said as the maids stepped back. "It seems London suits you."

"I can say that it does." Rin agreed before taking a sip of her tea. "This tea is most delicious. Your chef is to be commended."

"I'll be sure to pass your compliments along." Reines said before taking a sip of her own tea. "Dear old Reginald would be most gratified to hear that."

"From the sound of things, he's been part of your household a long time." Rin observed.

"Oh yes." Reines agreed with a nod. "He's been part of the kitchen staff long before I was born. I believe my mother hired him, and after several years with the recommendation of our head chef at the time, sponsored him to culinary school. After gaining some experience, he returned to our household, back when I was still a child, and ultimately became head chef during my elder brother's tenure as Lord El-Melloi after old Willibald retired."

"I see." Rin said with a nod. "Such loyalty is…commendable."

Reines smiled. "Indeed it is." She said.

Shirou stayed silent, nursing his tea and nibbling on sweetmeats as Reines and Rin chatted on inane, unimportant matters, pausing every so often to take the smallest sip of their tea. " _Wow,_ " he eventually wondered, as he looked at his wristwatch and saw that forty minutes had already passed. " _I never knew Rin could…well, just **chat** like this and for so long. I shouldn't be surprised but…_"

Shirou let the thought trail off as he realized what exactly he'd been thinking, and just popped another sweetmeat into his mouth. The minutes trailed by, until a full hour had passed with Reines and Rin basically just gossiping and laughing at jokes between them.

"Now then," Reines said, as she replaced her empty teacup onto its saucer. "Shall we get down to business?"

Rin paused, and then drained her teacup. "Yes, we should." She said, also replacing her empty teacup onto its saucer.

At a gesture from Reines, two maids approached Rin, and presented with her open, leather-bound folders. Rin narrowed her eyes and read even as Reines said what had been written on the geis scrolls inside the folders.

"On pain of the lives of the signatories," she said while pouring tea for Rin and then herself. "In exchange for forgiveness for the destruction of the El-Melloi Crest by Kiritsugu Emiya, and a series of other concessions to be listed below, his son Shirou Emiya is bound to perform one unconditional act for the El-Melloi at any time in the future until his untimely demise."

Reines set down the teapot, and picking up her teacup took a sip. Rin turned away from the maids, and with a bow they stepped back and closed the folders.

Rin lowered her head in thought, gently and slowly tapping at her teacup with a finger. Her face was a veiled mask of grim thought, and Shirou couldn't blame her. He knew what was being asked of him.

'One unconditional act' might not sound like much…except without any specifics, it was exactly what it was. They could ask him to do anything, and he would _have_ to do it.

They could ask him to commit suicide, and he would have to kill himself.

They could ask him to murder someone, and he would have to kill them.

They could ask him to rob a bank, a museum, or even the British Royal Family, and he would have to do it.

No, this was a serious matter, and Rin couldn't be blamed for thinking it over deeply. Finally, after several minutes of thought, Rin closed her eyes, and lifting her face, opened them and smiled at Reines. Well, she _was_ smiling.

Internally, Shirou knew Rin was raging.

"Very well," she said. "I am very grateful for the opportunity to have my apprentice honorably atone for the destruction of your family's crest at his father's hand, and am struck with admiration for the generosity of the El-Melloi. For a single, future obligation, and certain other terms, all will be forgiven."

Reines smiled and nodded at Rin. "Well then," Reines said. "Is there anything you would want?"

"Just a few things," Rin said. "First, I would ask that Shirou be allowed to finish his apprenticeship with myself. This would also redound to your benefit, as it would allow his skills the chance to come to full flower, the better to fulfil his obligation to your family."

"That is not an unreasonable concession." Reines said with a nod, and gesturing at the maids who added it to the geis. "It would also allow him to leave a legacy behind, in the event the obligation would claim quite the cost."

"Quite,"

Shirou's face hardened slightly at the implication the El-Melloi requiring his obligation could cost him his life. He glanced at Rin, whose face remained polite and smiling, though he noticed that her fingers were ever so tighter on her teacup.

"Anything else?" Reines asked.

"Second," Rin continued. "I would ask that Shirou Emiya alone will be required to fulfil his obligation. It should not pass onto his children, in the event that he dies before he can fulfil his obligation."

"Oh?" Reines said with narrowed eyes, an impressed note entering her voice. "Very clever, Miss Tohsaka. You would require us to claim Mister Emiya's obligation to spare his children the task. I must say, I am impressed by your nerve…though I understand that as his master, it is indeed your responsibility to ensure his wellbeing within reason."

"As you say, Lady El-Melloi."

"But," Reines asked with a tilted head. "What if he should die prior to fulfilling his obligation?"

"Then the end of the Emiya lineage will be compensation for the destruction of the El-Melloi Crest."

Reines chuckled. "A fair trade, if I may so." She said. "So be it, I will grant that concession."

Rin nodded as the maids added it to the geis. "Will that be all?" Reines asked.

"Just one more." Rin said. "I would ask that in the event Shirou's mysteries are revealed in performance of his obligation, the El-Melloi would respect their secrecy. That is to say, the El-Melloi will not share what they have witnessed, and what they might further discover on further inquiry, with any others. That is all."

Reines nodded, her smile growing wider. "Again, a reasonable concession that I will grant you and Mister Emiya." She said, though her eyes narrowed immediately afterwards. "Though I must admit, my curiosity is piqued. May it be that Mister Emiya has some unique talent to himself?"

"Perhaps he might, perhaps he might not." Rin said, and Reines laughed.

"Indeed," she said with a nod. She gestured at the maids, who added the final concession to the geis. "If that is all, then let us conclude this arrangement, and bring this ghost of the past to a partial resolution."

Rin nodded, and looked on as the maids approached Reines and Shirou. They presented them with one folder and thus one copy of the geis each, while another maid approached, presenting them with a pair of gleaming silver knives.

Reines took one, and slitting her palm open, dabbed a fountain pen with her blood and used it to sign her copy of the geis. Glancing once at Rin at the sight, and receiving no response, Shirou briefly hesitated for a moment before taking the other knife, and likewise slitting his palm open.

Using his blood to fill the fountain pen, and putting it to his copy of the geis, Shirou signed it. The moment he finished signing it, his and Reines' magic circuits flickered once as they both bound themselves to the agreement they had signed in their own blood, and closing the folders, exchanged their copies. That which had been signed by Reines would be kept by Shirou, while that which Shirou had signed would be kept by Reines.

"I am glad this issue is resolved in a peaceful manner." Reines said, offering a hand to Shirou. After a moment, Shirou took the offered hand and shook it.

"As am I." he said, and Reines smiled.

"Now," she said. "While our business is concluded, I do hope you would enjoy my hospitality a bit longer."

"But of course," Rin said, picking up her teacup and taking a drink. "It is beyond reproach, much like the tea."

Reines smiled wider, and likewise took a drink of her tea. "Oh yes," she said almost as an afterthought. "There is one more thing."

"Oh?"

Reines gestured, and a maid approached to offer Rin a binder. "Consider this a gift in good faith." Reines said. "And a gesture that I would have friendly, or at least non-hostile relations between ourselves."

Rin narrowed her eyes, and taking the binder opened it. Her eyes widened at what met her.

First, there was a clutch of pictures, foremost a young woman of her age in khaki, dark hair curled in an anachronistic style, pulling a trolley at an airport somewhere. Then there was the same young woman, accompanying the notorious – and until recently, _criminal_ – Grand Magus Touko Aozaki.

There were several pictures of them together, the older ones showing Aozaki's companion with her hair uncurled, and wearing clothes of a more modern design. And finally, there was a picture which had Rin's eyes narrowing and her teeth grinding in rage, so much so that the rest of the dossier would be set aside for later, when she had calmed down sufficiently to properly appreciate them.

The most recent picture was of the young woman – Sakura Tohsaka, Rin's long-lost _sister_ – in the company of Luviagelita Edelfelt and her inner circle. And from the look of things, they were very close.

 _She knew._

 _How long had she known?_

 _Did she deliberately keep her away from me?_

 ** _She'll pay!_**

"I am grateful." Rin ground out. "And I will not forget this. But alas, and I apologize if I seem rude, I…we, must depart, as the weight of this matter is such that I cannot properly appreciate your hospitality."

"But of course," Reines said with a nod, and setting down her teacup rose to her feet. "I completely understand, and hold you no ill will for it."

Rin nodded, and likewise rose to her feet. "I thank you for your hospitality." She said. "The tea in particular was very delicious. And also, I would thank you again for providing my apprentice a fair and honorable chance to atone for his father's destruction of your family's crest. It speaks well of you, Lady El-Melloi."

Reines gave a small bow to Rin. "And you are welcome, Miss Tohsaka." She said. "Let it not be said that El-Melloi is ungenerous and inhospitable."

"Indeed," Rin said before taking a deep breath. "But now…we must take our leave."

"But of course," Reines said before gesturing at her maids. "I shall have my servants escort you out."

"Thank you."

* * *

A/N

Of course Reines would not hold Kiri responsible for Kayneth's death. Dying was expected, both as a magus, and as a participant in Heaven's Feel. The destruction of the El-Melloi Crest though…

…now that was something unforgivable.

I must admit, I took inspiration from the _John Wick_ franchise to word out Shirou and Reines' geis. The whole 'one unconditional act…in the future' is pure _John Wick_.

Luvia is in trouble…or is she? Up next, Sakura returns to London…to find things going to hell.

…just like old times, right, Sakura?


	11. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Alea Iacta Est

Chapter 10

Wearing an obviously-deliberate expression of neutrality on her face, Rin silenced Shirou's inquiries the moment the first word left his mouth with a single raised finger. Realizing that something had set her off, Shirou quietly acquiesced, silently following in Rin's wake as they were shown out of Reines El-Melloi Archisorte's residence, and on the trip back to their London residence.

The moment the front door was closed though, Rin exploded. Surprisingly, she was quite calm about it, with the only indication of her fury being the frigid tone of her voice, matched by the coldness of her eyes.

"We've been through a lot, Shirou." She began. "I've saved your life, and you've saved mine. We've made many memories together, memories that I – _we_ – should cherish for the rest of our lives. I trust you, and you trust me as well."

"Rin, what…?"

"And those are the reasons why I haven't slapped you in the face," Rin interrupted. "Kicked you out of my house, or just plain killed you on the spot!"

"Rin's what's wrong with you?" Shirou exploded in his turn, and grabbing Rin by the arms. She shook him off, and shoved the dossier Reines had given her into Shirou's hands.

"You work for Luvia as her butler, don't you?" Rin asked. "Well, see for yourself. And tell me, what do have to say for yourself?"

"These are…Sakura Tee…no…"

Shirou's expression twisted in shock, surprise, and finally, betrayal. "Sakura Tee was…she was Sakura Tohsaka all along?" he said incredulously. And quickly realizing just why Rin was so angry, he just as quickly followed through. "Rin, I swear I didn't know she was your sister! I mean…yeah, her name was Sakura, but at the time I didn't even know you had a sister!"

"And afterwards?"

"Sakura's a fairly common name." Shirou replied. "As for her last name, well, I thought it was Tee, as in T-E-E. I didn't know it was the abbreviation for 'Tohsaka'. And she…didn't try to correct me, either."

Rin coldly and probingly stared at Shirou, and drawing himself up, Shirou made sure to meet her eyes. "Rin," he honestly began. "I swear to you, be it by the gods or on my ancestors or whoever you want me to swear by, I didn't know who she was. I wasn't lying or holding anything back from you."

Without another word, Rin ran forward, and practically crushed herself against Shirou, who quickly put his arms around her. "Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you…I thought…I really thought…you…"

"Idiot…" Shirou whispered, holding Rin tight. "After everything we've been through…do you really think I'd betray you like that?"

There was wet sniffle followed by a choked laugh. "I guess I am an idiot, aren't I?" she asked. "We're perfect for each other, aren't we?"

Shirou laughed, and patted Rin on the head as she pulled back, wiping at her eyes. "I guess we are." He said.

Rin laughed weakly, and then her expression falling, sank down to the floor. The dossier had fallen when she'd thrown herself at Shirou, and papers and photos were spilled all over the floor. "Do you think she knew?" Shirou asked.

"Luvia?" Rin asked, and Shirou nodded. "I'm sure she does. From the look and sound of things, Sakura's a part of her inner circle. And there's no way she'd let anyone into her inner circle without looking into their past."

"But," Shirou began. "Why would she keep this from you? What could she be after to do this?"

"I don't know." Rin answered, one hand clenching into a fist before punching the floor, staring at the picture of Sakura sitting along with the rest of Luvia's inner circle. "Maybe she thinks it's funny, or it's part of some bigger plan to get at me or something. There could even be an arrangement of some kind behind it."

"Arrangement?" Shirou echoed. "With who? With Sakura? That doesn't make any sense! Why would she not want to be…"

"Discovered by her family?" Rin completed for Shirou on a questioning note. "She ran away in the first place so…there you go."

"But…she still uses your name."

Rin was silent for a long moment, and then finally got up. "Yes, I can see that." She said, looking at the dossier and the profile page. Much of it was blacked out, but the name was clearly 'Sakura _Tohsaka_ '. "Maybe she regrets running away…maybe keeping our name is a sign of her reaching out…a yearning…regret…hope…or it could just be too troublesome to change it."

"…you don't know that."

"I don't know anything, damn it!" Rin exploded in frustration. "She ran away. We thought she did because giving her away to Matou might have seemed like we didn't want her, so she didn't want us back! But…even if she never got training before then…she knew she was part of a magi family. She knew and understood what was expected of her. If so…why run? And why become a magus in the end anyway?"

"Maybe she…no…it doesn't make sense." Shirou fumbled before shaking his head. "Or does it?"

"What does?"

"She was just a child." He answered. "She was about five at the time, right? And children do thoughtless things."

"If she regretted it, then why didn't she come back?"

"Maybe she couldn't." Shirou answered. "She was just a child. Who knows how far and where she must have wandered off, trying to get away and avoid getting found? Children can be quite…clever, in hiding and surprisingly quick to get away if they want to. And if she got lost in the process…"

"Then she wouldn't be able to come back." Rin whispered with a nod. She then looked away for several moments, and then looking back at the photos, flipped through them until she found the ones with Sakura and Touko together. "That could be it…she must also have been found by Grand Magus Aozaki at some point, otherwise she wouldn't be where she is now. Or maybe even…"

"What?"

"…she might have wanted to come home." Rin whispered with a dark tone. "But Grand Magus Aozaki might not have let her. As I told you, Sakura and I possess incredible magic potential. Not just in terms of circuit quantity and quality, but also in other qualities. I'm an Average One, and she had Imaginary Numbers. The grand magus must have considered her too valuable to lose, and kept her. How dare she…"

Rin ground her teeth, and stared down at the profile page. "Apprentice…" she read softly. "To Touko Aozaki…even if it seems to have worked out…even if it seems Sakura avoided the worst-case scenario, of being turned into an experimental subject…she had no right to keep her from us…to decide her future without us, _her family_ , having a say in it. She had no right whatsoever, grand magus or not!"

"…there's no guarantee either that Sakura wasn't a subject at first." Shirou said before shaking his head. "No…that's…there's no proof of that."

"But there's no proof against it either." Rin snarled before beginning to pace. "Damn it, damn it, damn it! Fucking damn it!"

"Rin!" Shirou said, only to freeze as she glared at him.

"You don't seriously expect me to just take this lying down, do you?" she asked. "God…she kept my sister from me…from our family, for years! She might even have twisted her mind, and turned her against us! What other reason could there be that she hasn't tried to get in touch? For lying to you about who she was, even? Damn it all!"

Rin continued to pace, biting at her thumb furiously. "We've got to save her." She muttered. "Bring her back to her right mind…back home where she belongs…but a grand magus…this isn't going to be easy…and that Edelfelt bitch too… damn them all…"

 _How long has she known? How long has she been laughing at me behind my back? How long has she been making a fool of me without me knowing it?_

 _Damn her! Damn Aozaki! Damn everyone who's kept my sister from me! Kept her from her family! Damn them all!_

* * *

Even as Rin was going into a paranoid and grief-fueled meltdown, Sakura was passing through Heathrow Airport's customs, and picking up her luggage made her way towards the exit. About forty minutes later and a taxi was dropping her off at her apartment building, and about five minutes later she was closing and locking the door behind her.

"Ah, it's good to be back." She cheerfully said, opening the refrigerator and pulling out a can of beer. Popping it open, she took a long drink and wiped her mouth on her sleeve. "Oh yeah, that hits the spot. After spending more than an hour in lines at customs and immigration, cold beer works wonders."

Whistling cheerfully to herself, Sakura made her way into the living room, shrugging off her coat and throwing it over the couch. Taking another drink, she grabbed her luggage and pulled it into her bedroom, right next to her bed.

With another drink, Sakura pulled the first of her bags up onto the bed, and unlocking it opened it. "Right then…" she muttered to herself after another drink, and placing the half-empty can of beer on the bedside table cracked her fingers. "Let's fix these before heading off to see Luvia."

Clothes were pulled out, clean ones smoothed and then placed on their appropriate piles in the closet or in designated drawers beneath, while dirty ones were thrown into the hamper in the toilet. Cosmetics went into the cabinet behind the toilet's mirror, while spare shoes were placed in the rack next to the closet.

Pulling up the second piece of luggage, Sakura carefully sorted through her magical supplies, and then closed the bag again. This would have to go back into storage in her workshop at the Clock Tower, and the bag was placed in an out of the way corner for now.

The third piece of luggage had large, bulky cases inside, all protected by powerful enchantments intended to 'nudge' the minds of ordinary people to ignore them. Among other protections, of course. An estimated one hundred thousand dollars in cold cash was without a doubt worth protecting.

Four cases, each carrying about twenty-five thousand dollars each…Sakura pulled the cases out, lined them up beside her bed, and then closing the empty bag, took it aside along with the first one. Those were then placed in a large closet beside her apartment's door.

Whistling to herself, Sakura began to unbutton her blouse while stripping down to her bra, and returning to her bedroom finished her beer. Tossing the empty can into the trash bin and her blouse and undershirt into the laundry hamper, Sakura ran a hand through her hair before heading for her closet and took out a fresh set of clothes.

" _A shower and clean clothes should be fine,_ " she thought to herself. " _And then it's off to the Clock Tower to see Luvia._ "

Pausing in thought, Sakura closed her eyes after a moment, and reaching out to one of her familiars in her workshop awoke it and had it pay a visit to Luvia's suite to see if she was in. The familiar hurried off, while Sakura opened her eyes and taking her clothes, went into the toilet.

It was several minutes later when the familiar reported back, that while Luvia was currently out, she'd probably return to her suite in about twenty minutes. " _Twenty minutes?_ " Sakura thought while luxuriating in the cold water splashing down all over and around her from the showerhead above. " _Yeah I have the time to finish here and then to go there, and for Luvia to freshen up before I arrive._ "

Nodding to herself in satisfaction, Sakura began to wash her hair, softly singing to herself all the while. " _You are the dancing queen!_ " she sang. " _Young and sweet! Only seventeen! Dancing queen! Feel the beat from the tambourine, oh yeah! You can dance! You can jive! Having the time of your life! Ooh see that girl! Watch that scene! Dig in the dancing queen!_ "

* * *

There was a knock at the door, and a maid quickly walked over to answer it. "Yes?" she asked before blinking in recognition. "Oh Miss Sakura, I apologize for not having recognized you sooner. Yes, we received your familiar earlier, and my lady is expecting you. Please, come inside."

"Thank you." Sakura politely told the maid with a nod, though she waved off the maid's attempts to take the cases she was carrying. The maid bowed, and leading the way, escorted Sakura to Luvia's usual parlor.

"My lady," the maid said with a bow. "Miss Sakura has arrived."

"Oh Sakura, good to see you." Luvia said with a nod from the chaise she was reclining on.

"Hard day, I take it?" Sakura observed. Not only was Luvia resting on her back, she'd foregone her usual dress for a looser, and more comfortable set of loose-fitting, long-sleeved, and unbelted robes reminiscent of Roman-style tunics for women.

"Tell me about it." Luvia said while running a hand over her face. "We had a practical earlier, and some halfwit set off an explosion that left half the laboratory a pile of smoking rubble and the rest not much better. Ruined my dress too."

"Oh…I see. My sympathies…any fatalities?"

"The halfwit bit the dirt." Luvia said with a mix of vengeful satisfaction and exasperation. "So did the people working next to him. Several injuries, but only three fatalities, and no more potential ones, so far. They did manage to recover the dead's crests though."

"Oh? All three of them had crests then?"

"That's right." Luvia said with a nod before sitting up. "Anyway, enough about that. What's in those cases?"

Sakura grinned before placing all four cases on the nearby table, and opened them one by one to expose the neatly-packed and bundled hundred-dollar bills inside. "Do you accept cash?" she asked.

"Oh, I accept cash." Luvia said with a matching grin. "Paying your debt so quickly…a hundred thousand US dollars certainly does help turn a bad day around. May I?"

"By all means."

Luvia began to count her money, while Sakura gestured for the maid and asked for coffee and buttered scones. The maid bowed and left, returning several minutes later with two coffees, a plate of buttered scones, as well as sugar and milk.

"Trying to hurry me up, Sakura?" Luvia asked, feeling her mouth water at the smell of melted butter and rich Colombian coffee.

"Who me?"

"Ass."

Sakura grinned, and Luvia grinned back before returning to counting her money. As she finished with each case, she closed it and set it aside beside her chaise, until finally, after about ten minutes, all four cases were on the floor next to her. "Your debt is paid." She said, adding milk to her coffee before toasting Sakura and taking a drink.

"It was money well spent." Sakura said.

Luvia shrugged noncommittally while taking her drink, and then she set down her coffee cup on its saucer. "Where'd you get a hundred thousand dollars anyway?" she asked.

"Where does Edelfelt get its money from?" Sakura asked back.

"We have plenty of investments." Luvia replied. "I won't give the details, but suffice to say we have plenty of profitable assets to provide us with our necessary income."

"Then let me rephrase the question." Sakura said with a nod. "What is Edelfelt most notorious taking money for?"

"…mercenary work." Luvia said with a snap of her fingers. "Oh wow, we'll make an Edelfelt out of you yet."

"Meh…kind of…bounty hunting, more like." Sakura said with a shrug. "And didn't I tell you before I left?"

"Oh yes…so, how many bounty heads did you bring in?" Luvia said a nod. "And how much did it all bring in for you?"

Sakura paused to count, ticking off with her fingers as she did so. "About ten people," she finally said. "Though six of those were just accomplices with no bounties on their heads, so basically I brought them in gratis. Oh well…it's not like I make a point to be stingy. And all in all I still managed to get slightly over six hundred thousand dollars in the end. I don't mind a bit of charity in that light."

"Ten people, huh?" Luvia echoed. "Though only four bounty heads…who were they and how much did you get for each?"

"The first guy was a Mexican gangster named Edmundo Reyes," Sakura said. "Small-fry, really. Only worth twenty-five thousand US dollars, though when I arrived at Veracruz he'd apparently been caught embezzling the syndicate's money and had gone on the run. Did half the work for me, as he ran towards the US border. Caught him and some pretty thing who might have been his wife at Tijuana and handed them over to the Americans."

"You cheated, didn't you?" Luvia asked knowingly.

"If you mean I just used mental interference to get them to stand down and come quietly, then yes." Sakura said. "No one ever said I couldn't do that."

"And what about the rest of the syndicate?"

"They actually managed to find him about the same time I did."

"So what did you do?"

Sakura smirked.

 _SMGs roared and bullets flew in a lead rain of death at Reyes and his wife…only to splatter harmlessly against seemingly thin air. "What the…?" their leader said, before a voice spoke up from seemingly all around them._

 _"Sorry," the voice said. "I've been hunting those two for a week now, and I can't let them get away or die. Besides, I need the money that's been promised for those two."_

 _"A bounty hunter?" the syndicate men's leader asked. "Show yourself!"_

 _"Here's a better idea." The voice said. "Take your guns, and shoot yourselves in the head."_

 _Without a word, all the syndicate's men placed the barrels of their guns against their temples, and pulled the triggers. There was the briefest burst of gunfire, and then blood was splattering everywhere as corpses tumbled to the ground._

 _"Now then," Sakura said, appearing a good distance behind Reyes and his wife. "Your turn."_

 _The man pulled a gun and aimed it at Sakura. "Witch…!" he shouted._

 _"Stop!" Sakura shouted at the same time, and they froze. "Throw down your weapons. Get on your knees, and place your hands behind your heads."_

 _They complied, and minutes later Sakura was frog marching the gangster and his woman off to where she'd be turning them over to the American authorities (and get paid for her trouble). "You two are going to cooperate until I hand you over to the police," Sakura cheerfully commanded. "And will continue to cooperate until you've been taken into their custody. You'll also forget how I actually caught you two, how I killed that bunch of thugs back there, and you'll only remember that I used a flashbang as well as electric tasers to bring you down. Got it?"_

 _"Yes, my lady." They chorused, and Sakura beamed._

 _"Very good!"_

"Witch!" Luvia accused and Sakura stuck out her tongue in response.

"I'll take that as a compliment." She said. "Second guy…was actually a lady. Natalie Hale, a serial gambler who'd racked up and reneged on a debt of about…what was it again…about three million dollars or so. Bounty on her head about sixty thousand dollars. Easy job, really. Followed her until she bought some alcohol at a cheap shop, and gave her some commands while standing next to the door as she was leaving."

"Small fry…don't you ever go big?"

"The next one was big." Sakura said with a serious expression on her face. "An environmental terrorist named Michelle Henderson and her gang. They were well armed, with AK-74s, RPGs, and lots of explosives. I nearly ended up getting killed."

"Oh?" Luvia asked with a raised eyebrow. "Was she a spell-caster then?"

"No," Sakura said sourly. "The restaurant where they were eating and where I was planning to catch them turned out to be a trap. They were after some big-time corporate executive, and not only did they kill him, they started shooting up the place as well. I had to keep my head down, and they had an exit strategy in place. Had to track them down after that…and found they were planning to release ammonia and bleach into the ventilation system of some big, aquatic park in Los Angeles. Had to disable their devices first before catching them…I wasn't going to have all those families in there on my conscience if even one of their contraptions went off."

"…how many people were in the park?" Luvia asked, all levity gone.

"It was a Sunday."

"Shit!" Luvia swore. "Hundreds if not thousands of people would have been in there."

"As I said, families." Sakura said. "Children…"

"But you caught them in the end?" Luvia asked.

"I did." Sakura said with a nod. "I had my puppets rough them up, and while I wiped their memories, they'd be standing trial in casts and wheelchairs, of that I made sure."

"It's the least they deserve." Luvia scoffed.

"And I'm pretty sure even hardened criminals aren't particularly friendly to scum like them." Sakura said, taking a sip of her coffee. "Here's to them getting some poetic justice in jail."

"Here's to that, indeed."

The cousins brooded in silence for a few minutes, and then Sakura took a deep breath. "Still," she said. "I got paid well for it. Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars for that bitch and her gang was well worth the effort."

"True enough…and the last bounty head?"

Sakura grinned. "I went to Hong Kong for that." She said.

"…why?"

"I went after a triad member."

"You did what?"

* * *

Fingers danced over a keyboard at incredible speed, cigarette fumes hanging heavy in the darkness as Touko worked at her laptop. Even at the detection of a familiar presence by her bounded fields, followed by their verification and subsequent entry into her stronghold, she didn't stop working.

She didn't stop working as they entered her penthouse, nor when they turned on the light in her room. "Master," Sakura said. "You shouldn't work in the dark, you know. It's bad for the eyes."

"I'd take that more seriously if my eyes were normal ones." Touko answered, taking a drag on her cigarette and blowing out a thin stream of smoke. "What are you doing here, Sakura?"

Sakura responded by placing a stack of folders next to Touko. "Homework submission!" Sakura cheerfully said, before raising a leather booklet. "And my tithe, as your apprentice."

"Hmm? Oh I see…thanks." Touko said as she put out her cigarette. "Oh, and get me a beer before you leave."

"Okay on the beer but…do you need me to leave?"

"Do you have a reason to stay?"

"I've found some good meat and vegetables, so I was thinking I'd cook dinner for us tonight."

"…what's on the menu?"

" _Tonkatsu_ , _miso_ soup with radish, egg, and spring onions, and _chashu_ salad." Sakura said. "I also bought a cheesecake on the way here."

"Any alcohol?"

"Beer? Or would you like something stronger?"

"Not necessarily," Touko said while lighting another cigarette. "Still…try and bring some cognac next time you visit."

"Yes, master!"

Touko took a drag and blew out another stream of smoke. "Well, hurry up on that beer." She said. "Then get cooking."

"Yes, right away!"

Touko returned to work, reviewing her correspondence from across the world, sending replies and orders over the next couple of minutes, until Sakura finally returned with a cold and newly-opened can of beer. Touko took a drink and immediately cheered up. "Oh yeah, that definitely hits the spot." She said. "Well, what are you standing around for? Get cooking, all that earlier sounds delicious, and I'm feeling hungry for something Japanese."

Sakura smiled. "Yes, master." She said.

"Oh, and good timing." Touko said. "In a couple of weeks, you and I will taking a trip to Eastern Europe. I recently got a tip that a clan of vampires over there have some materials on topics I'd previously expressed great interest in. Be prepared for a fight, got it?"

"Vampires?" Sakura asked with an incredulous expression. "I...alright, I understand. I'll make the necessary preparations and precautions."

Touko nodded. "There's a good girl." She said, and Sakura beamed.

"Then," she said. "I'll go and prepare dinner now."

"You do that."

"Yes."

* * *

A/N

Does Rin seem like she's jumping to conclusions? Not really…consider the situation, where it seems Sakura deliberately tricked Shirou into not recognizing her name for what it was, and Luvia seeming (more than seeming actually) to have played along. Add in Touko's reputation, and that technically picking up Sakura _is_ kidnapping and how Sakura seems to be fine with it i.e. Stockholm Syndrome at best or brainwashing/indoctrination/conditioning at worst...

And then we have a jarring shift of atmosphere…which shows Sakura completely at ease with her lot in life (and certainly happier than she would be had she not run away as we all know). Touko makes an appearance, and yes, canonically she does smoke. I don't recall her seeing her drink in canon, but nothing says she doesn't either. And yes, she does know how to use a computer. IIRC that's how she communicated with Shiki and Co. on at least one occasion.

Does Sakura smoke? Maybe…and it's long been established – in this fic at least – that she does drink.


	12. Chapter 11 (revised)

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Alea Iacta Est

Chapter 11

It was a very awkward situation.

Shirou stood along the wall, dressed in his butler's uniform, next to the head maid and two other maids, the three of them in black dresses and starched, white aprons and caps. Before them, Luvia sat on her chaise on one side of the table, serenely drinking her tea while Rin sat opposite her, angrily making a series of accusations.

"Are you finished?' Luvia asked while replacing her teacup on its saucer.

"What?" Rin ground out.

"I asked if you were finished." Luvia replied. "That was quite a laundry list of grievances, and which I would think could have been condensed into one or two sentences, maybe three at most, though even then I would find it hard to find any substance in them whatsoever."

Rin slammed her hands on the table to lean closer to Luvia. "No substance whatsoever?" she half-shouted. "You think I would come all the way here, get this worked up, and demand explanations for everything I've just told you, if I didn't think there was any substance behind them?"

"Your tea is getting cold."

"Forget the tea!" Rin shouted, and slamming a fist into the table. "Unless you would accuse Lady El-Melloi of spreading false information, then I demand answers!"

"I would not go so far." Luvia said, lifting her teacup to take a sip. "The information is true and correct."

"Then…!"

"That said," Luvia interrupted. "With regard to your grievances, I stand by what I should have said plainly earlier: there is no substance in them whatsoever. After all, did your father not cast out Sakura Tohsaka from your family? Even if she was meant to have been adopted by the Matou, that would only follow and come hand-in-hand with disownment from the Tohsaka Clan. Indeed, your father and his associate Zouken Matou even went the extra mile to erase and alter all records within the mundane world of Sakura Tohsaka ever having existed. Quite the effort there…"

Luvia paused, and then again replaced her teacup on its saucer. "With that in mind," she said. "I find all your accusations and demands of no substance."

"You…!"

"Furthermore," Luvia continued. "You have no right whatsoever to dictate with whom I choose to keep company with, much less with whom I decide a relationship – professional or otherwise – would benefit Edelfelt."

"…what are you saying?" Rin growled.

"I have said what I have said, Tohsaka." Luvia lightly said, before her face turned cold. "Drop the matter. Your father washed his hands of this affair when he cast your sister off to the worthless dregs of Matou, and while it seems you may wish to reverse the matter, your desires are meaningless without her consent."

"Then I will get her consent." Rin ground out. "She's my sister. Given the chance…"

"…she would want to return to you and your mother?" Luvia interrupted before giving a snort. "If you really think that, then you are an ignorant fool. You know nothing of that girl."

"And you do?"

"Of course," Luvia said with a smile. "She is a friend. And more than that, she is _family_."

There was something to the last sentence that had Rin shrinking back as though struck, and judging from how Luvia's lips seemed to curl at the sight, it was deliberate. "Family?" Rin echoed in a whisper before rallying. "I don't know what you're insinuating, Edelfelt, but if you decide to keep being obstinate, then I'm warning you, I'm prepared to take any measure I must to correct this situation."

Luvia snorted and laughed. "Any measure?" she echoed. "If so, you truly are a fool. Legally-speaking, you have no ground to stand on. Did you forget that Sakura Tohsaka as you think you know her does not exist? And even if you could somehow…reverse, your father and Matou's efforts, do you really think it would help? All you'd succeed in doing at best is force Sakura to ground…and I doubt she'd be very grateful for that. Congratulations on burning your few remaining bridges in such a case…and possibly annoying her master, Grand Magus Aozaki."

Luvia paused and narrowed her eyes, her smile turning cruel. "You think just because you survived Heaven's Feel, you are strong?" she mockingly asked. "Fool…you wouldn't last a minute against an enraged Grand Magus seeking satisfaction on her apprentice's behalf. Not when said Grand Magus has killed everyone and everything the Association has sent against her during her past exile."

Rin opened her mouth to speak, but a raised hand from Luvia forestalled her. "And if you would seek to take this matter to the College of Law," she began. "I would suggest against it. _Your family_ might have cast her out, but she is still of our blood. Or to be more specific, she is still Maija Edelfelt's granddaughter…nor have we forgotten that the crest you bear on your arm is more than half hers."

Rin's hand unconsciously went to her arm in a protective gesture. "What does that have to do with anything?" she asked in a worried tone.

"Maija Edelfelt married your grandfather without her father's consent." Luvia said. "By the traditions of our society, and by the rules of the Mages Association, her crest should have been forfeit, and returned to her family. It should not have been kept, much less integrated with the Tohsaka Crest."

Luvia paused, smiling disarmingly. "We have not pressed the issue." She said, leaving the _why_ ambiguously in the air. "And we won't. We would simply go for _quid pro quo_ , her granddaughter for the crest. There is precedent for it, and the College of Law would unquestionably rule in our favor."

"And do you really think Sakura will agree with that?" Rin snapped, and Luvia laughed.

"As I said Tohsaka," Luvia mockingly answered. "You know _nothing_ of her. I do."

"…that doesn't answer my question." Rin whispered.

"No, it doesn't." Luvia said, before taking her teacup to take a drink, and then pulling out a pocket watch checked the time. "Oh dear me, look at the time. And I was enjoying our conversation just so much. Anyway, I apologize but I have other, pressing matters to attend to Tohsaka. I trust you understand so, Reeta, please see Miss Tohsaka out."

"Yes, my lady." The maid said with a bow before approaching Rin. The other magus glared at Luvia before getting to her feet.

"This is not over." She snarled before storming off, followed by the maid.

Luvia just looked unconcerned, serenely sitting in silence on her chaise until Reeta returned and informed her that Rin had gone. "Did you have to go that far?" Shirou asked.

Luvia ignored him, instead gesturing to the table. The maids quickly cleared it, refilled Luvia's teacup, and placed a fresh one opposite her. "Did you enjoy the show, cousin?" Luvia asked.

There was the sound of locks turning, and then a previously-seamless section of the wall opened to Shirou's surprise, followed by Sakura stepping out with an amused expression on her face. "I found it quite amusing, to be honest." She said while smoothing her clothes. "So much so that I had to avoid laughing out loud – or too loudly, rather – and be found out in the process."

Luvia chuckled as Sakura walked over, and sitting down poured herself some tea. "You lied to me." Shirou accusingly said.

Sakura paused pouring milk into her tea, and glanced at him with a raised eyebrow. "In what way?" she asked.

"You said your name was Sakura Tee." Shirou bitterly said.

"Ah…you thought it was T-E-E, did you?" Sakura asked before giving a sigh. "Well, that was clearly a mistake on your end, though I suppose I could have clarified the matter. I did not lie when I said my name was Sakura T. T for Tohsaka. So what I told you was true, from a different point of view."

"A different point of view?" Shirou echoed.

Sakura shook her head. "Mister Emiya," she said. "If you're going to succeed in our world you're going to have to realize that a lot of what we accept as fact depend entirely on the perspectives they're seen from."

Shirou stared at Sakura open-mouthed for several long moments, while Sakura added more milk to her tea before stirring it. "Why?" he finally asked, even as Sakura took her first sip. "What you're doing to Rin…why? You and Luvia…why?"

Sakura stared at him with a surprising amount of sympathy in her eyes before taking another drink. "Luvia has already explained herself." She said. "As for myself…do you really want to know the reason?"

"Yes."

Sakura took another drink of her tea, and then replacing the teacup on its saucer made to look at Shirou in the eyes. "Two reasons," She said. "One, it amused me. And two, it's what my master would have done."

"It amused you?" Shirou echoed incredulously. "And…it's what your master would have done? What kind of monster is your master?"

"Watch your tongue." Sakura snapped, suddenly angry. "Say what you want about me, but don't you dare badmouth my master to my face, unless you're asking for a duel. And believe me, I won't hold back if it comes to that. I will kill you."

Shirou lowered his face, matching Sakura's killing intent with his own resolve. The air hung thick and heavy for the next few moments, and then Sakura gave an impressed smile. "I see." She said. "So this is a victor of a Heaven's Feel ritual. You've got good eyes and a good air, Mister Emiya."

"You wouldn't be the first person to try and kill me." Shirou warned.

"And I believe you." Sakura said with a nod. "Alright…then let me tell you a story."

"A story?"

"Yes." Sakura said with a beaming smile. "Once upon a time, long ago in a faraway land, two sisters were born to a family of magi. The elder was a genius, dazzling her teachers and peers with her brilliance and flair, and adding many great achievements to her and her family's name. The younger though was mediocre and grasping, softhearted and lacking in resolve and determination. But when the time came for the family's inheritance to be passed down, when the elder sister stepped forward to claim what was rightfully hers and which her achievements had proven her worthy of, their grandfather passed her over and bestowed everything to the younger sister. The weak…mediocre…and underachieving younger sister. The elder sister never forgave and never forgot such a betrayal, and ever since then has made it a point to make as much trouble as possible for the usurper whenever the opportunity arises."

"…is that your master's life story?" Shirou asked.

Sakura shrugged, and took a drink but did not answer. "It's a very interesting story." Shirou continued. "But I notice something interesting. Your master was the betrayed older sister, wasn't she? If that's the case…I wonder. Will she approve of you, her student and apprentice, acting like her own younger sister once did?"

Sakura laughed, and then resting her elbows on the table, laid her head to rest on hands folded together. "Ironic, isn't it?" she asked. "It never ceases to amaze and amuse my master. With one key difference: unlike Aoko Aozaki who never deserved to become Aozaki Head much less receive the Blue, I am every inch Rin's equal."

"…then why even keep the Tohsaka name?" Shirou asked bitterly. "If you hate Rin so much, why keep using her name? Why don't you simply give it up? Or is it…that you can't, can you? Some part of you still wants to be her little sister, doesn't it? That's why you reached out to her that time, didn't you?"

"I reached out because it amused me." Sakura said with a smile. "As for the name…what if I told you I keep it out of spite?"

"SPITE?" Shirou echoed in an incredulous roar, and Sakura laughed.

"Maybe…" she said with a grin. "Oh alright…I keep it because it's too troublesome to change it. Back then master and I had to keep a low profile, seeing as we _were_ on the run, and we didn't exactly want to advertise ourselves either by going through legal motions. And even if we did, well, what name should I change to? 'Sakura Matou' _is_ an option, but seeing as that name is still on a missing person's list, I prefer to keep my current name."

Sakura paused, and then shrugged. "In short," she said. "It's too inconvenient to change my name. At least while I stay a minor. When I turn twenty, well, we'll see."

Luvia raised an eyebrow and hummed at that, but Sakura just winked at her. "Anyway," Luvia said. "Can you do something about that halo of his?"

"The halo is a problem?" Sakura asked, and Luvia rolled her eyes.

"Yes, it's a problem." She said. "What was supposed to be a day-long test of mysteries meant to keep it in place literally overhead turned out to be irremovable, and he's been stuck with it for quite some time now. Tohsaka has tried, I've tried, and our most trusted peers have also tried to remove it, but none of us have succeeded."

"Have you tried professional help?" Sakura asked.

"They are expensive and potentially dangerous." Luva said. "I'd rather not draw too much attention to Shero. At least not until you've had a look, and even then I'd prefer if you could negotiate a fair…agreement, with your master if she can help where – _if_ – you can't."

"Oh alright…" Sakura said with a sigh. Reaching into her coat, she pulled out a small case, and opening it removed a pair of glasses and put them on. She looked at Shirou, raised an eyebrow and nodded. "I see the problem already. Easily solved…but since Mister Emiya is looking extremely constipated, I'll let him choose. Quick and painful, or slow and painless?"

"The former." Shirou ground out before glaring at Luvia who actually winced and looked faintly regretful. "I'd like to be out of here once my shift is done, and for good. I tender my resignation, effective immediately."

"You sure about that?" Sakura asked while getting up and moving closer. "It's going to be really painful."

"I _know_ pain." Shirou sneered. "You don't know _anything_."

"Alright," Sakura said with a sigh, before pulling out her dagger and running the blade over a finger, coating it with her blood. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

She then muttered a few words that the others couldn't hear, the blood on the blade burning away as the gem on the crossguard began to glow. She then looked at Shirou in the eyes, before sweeping the blade through the space between his head and the halo.

Shirou's screams of agony filled the entire suite, and could be heard in the adjoining ones and the corridor outside.

* * *

"Did something happen?" Touko asked while raising an eyebrow. "You're smiling like a cat that's gotten the canary."

"Rin Tohsaka actually went and confronted Luvia over her relationship with me." Sakura answered. "She also demanded an explanation why she – Luvia – kept my…presence, secret from Rin. As if Luvia was under any obligation to inform on me to Rin. Not to mention, we didn't actually deceive her or whatnot. We just…neglected, to inform her of my…continued, existence."

Touko snorted, before pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. Taking a drag, she then blew out a thin stream of smoke. "Is that right?" she said. "Just what point is there in all this?"

"It amuses me."

"Really?"

"Yes." Sakura said with a beaming smile. "Just as messing with your sister amuses you, master. And I know watching an inverted mirror of your own sibling dynamics amuses you just as much."

Touko snorted, and then burst out laughing. "True," she admitted. "Though unlike Aoko at least you have the ability and achievement to contest your older sister's claim to the Tohsaka inheritance."

"I could care less about the Tohsaka inheritance." Sakura said. "What is the Tohsaka inheritance but a patch of spiritually-valuable land in a backwater? So what if it comes with a paltry, hodgepodge of a crest with it? I'd rather become just like you, master. Someone who doesn't need a crest, or even landed property, to be great, knowledgeable, powerful, with a name that'll go down in history."

"Flattery will get you nowhere." Touko said while blowing out a plume of smoke. "Also, you sure you really want to become just like me?"

Sakura smiled. "Yes." She said without hesitation. "Ever since you took me in, all I ever wanted was…to be like you."

Touko glanced at Sakura with a raised eyebrow. "Really?" she asked while taking a drag on her cigarette. "Then what was with the pause? You're holding something back. Come on, tell me. I've told all about my sordid past, so why don't you tell me yours?"

Sakura laughed. "I can't keep anything from you, can I?" she asked with a strange smile.

"You're ten years too young to even try, kid." Touko said with a smirk, and blowing out another plume of smoke.

"…I want you to make you proud." Sakura admitted after a moment, turning away and refusing to meet her master's eyes.

Touko paused, and stared at her apprentice for a long time. And then putting her cigarette out in an ashtray, reached out and gently took hold of her apprentice's face, turning it until their eyes met. Master and apprentice stared at each other for a long time, and then Touko sighed.

"You're still a kid at heart, aren't you?" she asked.

"I'm only seventeen." Sakura pointed out.

"Hmm…then I'll be honest with you." Touko said. "I never expected to have an apprentice. Children even…I'd always thought and expected to keep my secrets to myself, and to myself alone. I found and made them all on my own, so by all rights I should take them to the grave with me. Even when I picked you up on that street, I never planned on letting you stick around. I was just curious about what I was feeling from you."

Sakura was silent, staring at into her master's eyes. "When I let you stick around it was because you turned out to be able to make life more convenient for me." Touko continued. "But as time passed, and I watched you grow up from a snot-nosed brat into a smartass teenager, picking at my secrets and poking your nose where it doesn't belong…"

Touko paused, her expression stern, Sakura's blood running cold through her veins…

…and then Touko smiled, her hand leaving Sakura's face to pat her on the head. "You've done good, kid." Touko said. "You've done good. And I hope I'll be able to keep saying that until the day you can call yourself a master, and even long afterwards…"

Sakura looked down with a smile, tears trickling from her eyes. "That is all I ever wanted to hear." She said.

"And if you keep doing good, then you'll keep hearing it." Touko snapped, all business once more. "Now enough of this sappy bullshit, we've got work to do."

"Yes master."

* * *

Two weeks passed quickly, and without incident to boot. Sakura saw neither heads nor tails of her elder sister or her boyfriend, until the day her master sent her to personally check the inventory of equipment and materials they would need to bring with them on their expedition to Moldavia in Eastern Europe.

"That's close enough." Sakura snapped, and both Rin and Shirou found guns aimed at them by a pair of Sakura's combat puppets, one on their left, and the other to their right. Shirou scowled and made to step forward, only to spring back as a hypersonic round blew a hole into the concrete right next to his feet. He glanced in the direction the shot had come from, and growled impotently as he saw a trio of puppets in the distance, sniper rifles held in their hands and aimed at them. Rin for her part paled and swallowed dryly as she saw targeting lasers form a triangle over Shirou's heart.

"Look Sakura I don't want trouble!" she imploringly said to Sakura, who was busy with a clipboard. "I just want to talk."

"Well, I don't want to talk to you." Sakura countered, and Rin looked like she'd been slapped in the face. "Besides, that you'd actually ambush me in a secluded place like this casts doubt on your claim."

"Why would I want to ambush you?" Rin breathed, and Sakura gestured around them.

"You don't call this an ambush?" she asked.

"…I didn't want to cause a scene." Rin finally said. "And also…I didn't want either your…master, or that Edelfelt bitch to interfere."

Sakura scoffed. "Indeed," she sneered. "What's next, Tohsaka? You force me to sign a geis? Place magic-suppressing cuffs on me so I can't resist while you dictate what I'm supposed to be and what I can do with my life? Drag me off back to Japan so you can sell me off to some nobody for pocket change?"

"NO!" Rin shouted in denial. "Why would I do any of that? I just…I just want my little sister back."

Sakura smirked. "You don't have a little sister." She sneered. "You said so yourself over a decade ago."

Rin flinched back. "I…what was I supposed to do?" she shakily said. "I was six! Father made his decision, and mother had agreed to it as well! There was nothing I could have done!"

"You could have said something." Sakura pointed out. "No matter how pointless, the thought is what counts. Instead, you just parroted your worthless father's words, like the perfect little heiress you were. And your father would have done exactly what I told you I expected earlier."

"I'm not my father." Rin hissed. "And he's your father too."

"Are you really?" Sakura countered. "Also, he's not my father, and I am not his child."

"And yet you use his name." Rin whispered. "My name…"

"Only it's because it's convenient for me." Sakura said with a shrug. "And when I turn twenty that might just change. Didn't Mister Emiya tell you that?"

Rin made to step forward, only to flinch back as another hypersonic round blew a hole in the concrete, this time next to Rin's feet. "Very well." Sakura said while setting her clipboard aside, and holding her hands together. "If you are insistent on speaking with me in private, then I am willing to do so, albeit in a location of my choice."

"Well isn't that convenient for you?" Shirou sarcastically remarked.

"I have no interest in the Tohsaka inheritance, Mister Emiya." Sakura said with a roll of her eyes. "Despite what Tohsaka's father might have taught her and what she might have taught you, to say nothing of what conventional wisdom dictates, crests are not the be-all and end-all of magical achievement. Indeed, I daresay they only matter for the mediocre and the average. Great and gifted magi do not require crests to be all they can be. And that does not even factor in the Tohsaka properties, which again, I have no interest in. There are easier and more profitable ways to acquire funds with."

Shirou grit his teeth, but before he could speak, Rin had placed a restraining hand on his arm. "Name your terms." She said.

"Ever heard of a favor for a favor?" Sakura asked. "My master and I are currently in the midst of final preparations for an…adventure, into the lands of Eastern Europe. It's just that it might get a little too hairy for us, and while not necessarily making things impossible, would certainly be more inconvenient than it ought to be."

"You want our help." Rin said.

"I was going to go to Luvia, but since you are here and have proven yourself in Heaven's Feel…then yes." Sakura said with a shrug. "Join us in our adventure, and you'll get your heart-to-heart."

"What's this adventure about?" Rin asked.

Sakura smiled wider. "Suffice to say," she said. "Having overcoming Heaven's Feel and assuming you are willing to do anything to speak to me at length, it should not matter what our goal is."

"No way." Shirou firmly said. "You're asking us to put our lives on the line, so we deserve to know what's this about."

"I'll tell you only if you agree to come, and to subordinate yourselves to my master over the course of the operation." Sakura said.

"That's…"

"We agree." Rin interrupted. "But only if you guarantee you'll speak to me at length at a location of your choice once our adventure is complete."

Sakura smirked. "Alright then." She said. "As things stand, I'm almost done here. Once I'm finished, we can go see my master."

"Wait, why do we need to see her?" Shirou asked, and Sakura laughed.

"Because she's the one in charge, that's why." She said. "Therefore, it's only right she be the one to explain the purpose behind this little adventure to the east."

Rin and Shirou glanced uneasily at each other, and Sakura tilted her head. "Well," she began. "Are you still willing to join us in our little adventure?"

Rin blinked, and then drew herself up. "We are." She said, and Sakura smiled.

"…excellent."

* * *

A/N

Rewrite of chapter eleven is done, though much of the first POV is pretty much the same as the previous version's. Minor edits were also made to chapter ten (though I never actually replaced it).

With regard to Aoko being a mediocre magus…she is, actually. Her rank is the lowest, Flame, despite having the color designation of Blue. And that's only because she possesses the Fifth Magic. In a contest of magecraft, Touko will always stomp Aoko, unless Aoko uses True Magic, which will always blow away even the most profound magecraft.


	13. Chapter 12 (revised)

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Alea Iacta Est

Chapter 12

Vapid, inane music filled the elevator as it ascended up the towering, high-end residential building, doing nothing for the tense and foreboding atmosphere inside, which hung heavy around the three passengers. Sakura stood in one corner, right next to the control panel, eyes warily on the other two passengers.

Rin and Shirou stood in the center of the elevator, the former uneasy but doing her best to relax, while the latter was just as wary of the other passenger as she was of them. Both were aware of numerous passive protective enchantments Sakura had layered on herself, leading Shirou to mentally sneer at the sheer paranoia, while Rin felt stung at the thought that her sister actually held her suspect of malignant intentions.

According to Sakura, her master lived at the penthouse suite of Drumpft Tower London, at the sixtieth and highest floor. It therefore came as a surprise when Sakura stopped the elevator on the forty-fourth floor, and temporarily held it there. "Last chance to back out." Sakura said with narrowed eyes and an unsmiling visage. "From here on up, you two will be entering my master's territory. If you're planning anything stupid, or are just going to waste her time, then now is the time to turn back."

Rin made to speak, only for Shirou to beat her to the punch. "To be honest, I think trying to come to an agreement or whatever else with you is a waste of time." He bluntly said. "But, Rin wants to give it a chance, which is why we're here. We're going. And you have absolutely no idea what we've been through, or what we've been forced to fight against, so stop acting big. It's not going to work."

Sakura raised an eyebrow at that. "…is that right?" she asked.

Rin coughed in an effort to lighten the air. "While Shirou could have been less blunt," she said. "He is right in what we've been through and forced to face in the past. Whatever it is you and your master are going after in Eastern Europe and what dangers lie around it, we can manage. And I assure you, we have absolutely nothing hidden up our sleeves."

"All magi have something hidden up their sleeves." Sakura remarked. "But I see your point. Alright then…"

And then before Shirou or Rin could respond, Sakura stepped closer, and holding Rin by the arms, leaned in and kissed her on the lips. Rin's eyes went wide, and she flailed around as Sakura held the kiss for a few seconds before pulling away.

"Hey, what's the…?" Shirou angrily demanded, only to break off as Sakura grabbed him by the collar and pulling him closer, kissed him too. The kiss lasted barely a couple of seconds before he firmly and harshly pushed her away. "Bitch…what's the big idea?"

Sakura wiped at her mouth. "It's called prana transfer." She said. "And it's the only way you're going to be able get into master's atelier without her keying the two of you in first."

"…prana transfer…?" Shirou breathed.

"…you don't know what that is?" Sakura asked in surprise. "It's a crude method, but it works, and is a universal one to boot, so…"

"I know what prana transfer is." Shirou snapped. "But you should have told us in advance. And there are other ways to use it without kissing the both of us."

"Well I am certainly not sleeping with you." Sakura said with an offended air. "And outside of that, there's no other way to transfer prana."

"…there's always blood consumption…" Rin managed to say, before Sakura looked at her in surprise.

"Blood consumption?" she echoed. "Humans are not a blood-sucking species. That would be inefficient, and would not last long enough to keep master's wards from crushing the both of you."

"So you say." Shirou snapped. "But like I said…"

Sakura didn't bother to mince words, instead pushing the button for the elevator to resume climbing. Shirou's words died on his lips as the elevator crossed the threshold of Touko Aozaki's atelier, and his face took on an expression of surprise, shock, and then _fear_ as he realized the full extent of its defenses.

Rin took longer to realize it, if only due to lacking Shirou's natural ability to…feel, magic of certain kinds. That is not to say she did not sense the weight of the Aozaki bounded fields around her, and she quickly perceived their configuration as well as their general function.

The specifics eluded her though, at least in part. There were the sensor functions, along with the phasic modulation component that made it easier for Aozaki mysteries to be performed within and with greater potency to boot, as well as advanced identification functions, all woven together on a degree Rin could only marvel at.

She could probably do just as well…in ten years. However, those were the only functions she could discern, and she sensed each field had more functions built into them beyond those she had already uncovered. An instinctive attempt to identify them passively failed, and an impulsive attempt to do so actively resulted in her magic circuits flaring as the defenses gave her one warning not to do so.

Rin wasn't inclined to push again, and filed away the realization that while Sakura's prana in her system kept her (and Shirou) from being auto-targeted by the defenses, said defenses _also_ recognized them as not Sakura, and were thus here on sufferance. And it wasn't like the effort was a complete waste.

While the melding of various functions in each field was too finely-done for Rin to see more than what was on the surface and immediately below, she did discern an approximation of how many bounded fields were in place. More than half a hundred, but less than three-quarters of a hundred, and a bit more probing of the kind that did not previously trigger a reaction soon specified how many: sixty-four bounded fields, in an eight-by-eight configuration.

Rin was impressed. Too many magi simply layered one field on top of another, a simple but effective configuration that could be likened to building one wall in front of another, and then repeating as needed. One would have to knock down one wall, or take down one field before moving on to the next, in a consecutive fashion. The problem there was that each field was essentially an individual unit, unconnected to the others and thus unable to support them or vice versa in case of an attack.

Now, while there _were_ bounded fields which could buttress other bounded fields built around it, this was still ultimately a flawed configuration. It was difficult, but one _could_ isolate those supportive bounded fields and then knock them down, weakening the others.

However, there was another configuration, a rather uncommon one due to how complex and difficult it was to build, so much so that only three in ten magi could probably do it. And even then, eight out of ten magi who could would only be able to do so with varying degrees of clumsiness, including Rin and her father, who had learned it from his mother (who unfortunately lacking access to the Edelfelt archives at the time could only teach a basic understanding of the concept).

That configuration was an interlocking configuration, wherein multiple bounded fields did not simply overlap or were built on top of each other, but were actually one yet separate in a three-dimensional matrix, sharing each other's strengths, and compensating for each other's weaknesses. This configuration rendered it virtually-impossible to take down bounded fields one at a time from the outside, as the other fields held it in place and gave it flexibility and even elasticity, allowing it to take damage and then bounce back as though the damage had never been inflicted in the first place. An additional danger to any would-be attacker was that trying to take down bounded fields in an interlocking configuration one at a time was that it would expose them to active defense functions from other bounded fields, which gave good chances of a fatal outcome.

Magi might not fear death, but that didn't mean they actively sought it out.

Of course, it wasn't a perfect defense. Nothing was perfect, after all, and the weakness of the interlocking configuration was ironically enough, its own composition. The concepts and principles of different bounded fields each built for a different purpose did not necessary conform to the same logic as each other, leading to contrasts and even contradictions, which allowed for minute gaps which could be exploited to allow seals to be directly attacked and destroyed, essentially causing the fields to crumble from the inside-out.

They could also be overpowered from the outside, though that method required great conceptual weight, greater than the accumulated weight of the family or what their magical system possessed. Considering that families with the skill and knowledge to build such configurations tended to be centuries old – Tohsaka had only learned due to their fortuitous, and 'exception to the rule' link with Edelfelt who went back to the Renaissance – this method was not a reliable one by any stretch of the imagination.

And going back to the configuration around Grand Magus Aozaki's atelier…

…Rin could only marvel at how _precisely_ the bounded fields were built together, at how few contrasts there were from one to the next, and virtually no contradictions whatsoever. In ten years she should be able to erect a bounded field as fine-tuned as any one of the ones Grand Magus Aozaki had erected, but such a precise configuration as this?

… _maybe_ in thirty years, she could try. And even then Rin suspected there was a good chance it still might blow up in her face.

And as she marveled at the precise construction…no, that wasn't the right word. As she marveled at the _cunning craftsmanship_ around she began to notice something. Something she hadn't noticed before…shadows of something beyond what she could immediately sense, and carefully working to avoid tripping any alarms or defenses, tried to figure them out.

But when she did, it was all she could do from letting her mouth fall open. The interlocking configuration wasn't a three-dimensional matrix. It was an _nth-_ dimensional matrix, something that only existed in theory, and was considered to be impossible in terms of application, akin to a reality marble and other forms of High Thaumaturgy, infinitely close to the realm of True Magic.

And in that matrix, Rin sensed _thousands_ of bounded fields in place, and more beyond count. How Grand Magus Aozaki was even able to power them was beyond her understanding…

…and perhaps that was the whole point.

" _So this is a Grand Magus._ " Rin thought in humble realization. " _This is a true genius. I still have so much to learn._ "

And then elevator rang the bell, and the doors opened on the penthouse level, Sakura gesturing for them to take the lead. Shirou did so suspiciously, Rin doing so still in awe at what lay around them, and Sakura brought up the rear.

* * *

"Gods damn…!" Shirou cursed while springing away from a wall in Touko's penthouse.

"What?" Rin immediately asked.

"That thing!" he said, pointing at the wall. "That just…grey thing! It disappeared right after I saw it, but it came through the wall! Right over there!"

Sakura blinked, and then she found a…falchion? No, a Chinese sword of some kind, pointed at her.

 _Where'd he get that from?_

 _And how come the defenses didn't…ah, I see._

All around them, Sakura could sense her master having directly taken control of the defenses here, and had overridden the auto-defense functions while looking on with an air of curiosity around her thoughts. That was the only reason Shirou Emiya hadn't been reduced to a smoking stain on the ground when he pulled that sword out of of…somewhere, somehow.

"What the hell was that?" Shirou demanded. "What are you and your master playing at here?"

"Well we have to cover the gaps, somehow." Sakura answered lightly, considering she had an honest-to-goodness sword pointed her way.

"Gaps?" Shirou echoed, and Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Yes, Mister Emiya, gaps." She said before nodding to Rin. "As Tohsaka here can tell you – after all she spent the last part of the elevator ride looking into my master's defenses – bounded fields of this kind of configuration leaves minute gaps in their coverage. And we have to cover them in case someone of no good intent ever comes knocking."

"And what did you use to cover those gaps?" Shirou spat. "That…thing, I saw. It does not belong in this world!"

Sakura's face turned stern. "Perceptive, aren't we?" she asked rhetorically. "If you're expecting an answer to that, then you'll have to be disappointed. I am not in the habit of explaining my master's mysteries beyond the obvious and thus of no real loss. Now, lower your sword."

"My sword is not lowered before an enemy!" Shirou snarled, though Sakura raised an eyebrow at a brief flicker in the young man's bearing when he said those words.

"Then by all means," she said. "Force the issue. Strike me down with all of your hatred, and your journey towards self-destruction will be complete!"

Shirou snarled wordlessly, but a firm hand on his arm from Rin had him standing down after a glance at her. "There are some things that should not be messed with, Sakura Tohsaka." He spat at Sakura.

Sakura just smiled. "And you call yourself a magus?" she asked. "Amusing…"

Ignoring his rage and indeed, taking amusement as it spiked when she walked past, taking the lead without a care for how she bared her back towards him, Sakura led the way further into her master's penthouse. Still, that begged the question: how would he have reacted had she actually answered his question?

That that which guarded the gaps in her master's defenses were actual demons. Not just those of the kind recorded and summoned by orthodox lore and methods of demonology, such as the Lesser Key of Solomon, but of kinds even the blackest demonologists of the Department of Spiritual Invocation considered… _verboten_?

In particular, demons summoned through inhuman, prehistoric lore, impossibly translated and then recorded in the Book of the Mad Arab, the Necronomicon of Abdul Alhazred?

Would he – or Tohsaka – have stood for it? Or would there be one or two smoking stains on the floor in that case?

* * *

"You've finally arrived." Touko Aozaki remarked while taking off her sunglasses and then sitting up. She was sitting in a reclining chair under an umbrella, standing on the edge of the open air pool of her penthouse suite, wearing only an unbuttoned blouse over a black two-piece that showed off her curves for all they were worth. She might be old enough to be her apprentice's mother, but appearance-wise, she looked ten or twenty years younger.

 _Magic…it can be such a wonderful thing._

"And?" Touko asked, turning to her apprentice, and ignoring the way Shirou Emiya's eyes seemed to bulge at the sight of her half-dressed (if even that) state. "These are the people you've…recruited, for our expedition to the east?"

"They are." Sakura replied.

"And what are their qualifications?" Touko challenged. "Do they have Luviagelita Edelfelt's proven record in combat operations?"

"They survived Heaven's Feel." Sakura replied, and Touko scoffed.

"Heaven's Feel…" she sneered. "That is like saying icing makes a whole cake instead of being a thin layer of sugared cream on top. Especially when one considers that Servants do all the fighting in a Heaven's Feel ritual."

"That is true." Sakura said, before turning to Rin and Shirou. "In any case, they are only _prospective_ recruits. I'll leave it to them to justify their joining us to Eastern Europe…and in Tohsaka's case, providing us a favor in exchange for another favor."

"And what favor might that be?" Touko asked.

"She wants to have a heart-to-heart, in a location of my choosing." Sakura said, and Touko laughed.

"Is that so?" she said, before also turning to Rin and Shirou. "Alright…let's see, Sakura and myself are going to attack a Dead Apostle's castle in Moldavia. The primary objectives are a) acquire certain experimental data from the Dead Apostle's workshop, and b) eliminate said Dead Apostle. The secondary objective, which need not be fulfilled but it would be nice if it were, would be the destruction of a number of lesser vampires that rule over nearby villages in their master's name, and who would certainly come to his aid in response to our attack. So tell me, what do you offer?"

"You're going to be attacking a Dead Apostle's stronghold?" Rin asked, her eyes wide. "That's insane! You…!"

"The expedition is not the one under scrutiny here, Flame Tohsaka." Touko said, resting her head against a raised fist supported by an elbow on an armrest. "Your joining us is. And thus far, I have no reason to let you do so. Dead weight aside, those with as much potential as the both of you are simply wasted if you were simply going to be fed to a vampire's fangs."

"…as much potential…?" Shirou echoed.

"Your girlfriend's…relative, is my apprentice." Touko said. "Qualitatively-speaking, they are equals, albeit with talents leading along different paths. My apprentice has…well, there's no need for you to know that. As for you, Miss Tohsaka, it is public knowledge you are an Average One. But it is you, Mister Emiya, who is the true diamond in the rough here."

"…what do you mean?" Shirou asked, and Touko laughed.

"You enter _my_ territory, and you don't think I have means of determining the potential threat you pose, _Incarnation_?" she asked, and Rin and Shirou gasped. "Yes, I know. Sword…what an oblique concept, but then considering how rare incarnations are I suppose one should not complain. I also have no doubt it renders your using orthodox magecraft difficult, but I also suspect you have found that one mystery best suited for you, which allows you to apply the concept you embody on the world around you."

Touko raised a hand to forestall a protest. "There is no need for you to elaborate on what you can do…yet." She said. "Your primary qualification is surviving Heaven's Feel…but why? Why does it qualify you? _That_ is what needs elaborating on."

Touko paused, and then sitting up, folded her hands on her lap. "Now," she said. "Start talking. And don't bother telling me the official story you gave the Association. Tell me what _exactly_ happened, and why it makes you qualified to join us, and why you deserve to speak to my apprentice in the aftermath. If not, you may go."

Rin and Shirou looked at each other, the latter stone-faced for several moments, before he sighed and nodded. Rin briefly looked down, and then drawing herself up, took a deep breath before turning back to Touko. "Very well," she said. "Then, I'll start with…"

* * *

"I see." Touko said after Rin had finished explaining. "So that's what _really_ happened during Heaven's Feel. You should take care, Miss Tohsaka. In hindsight, the holes in the official report are obvious. The College of Law does not take kindly to falsified or redacted reports, even if they are expected when dealing with magi. While the isolation of Fuyuki City makes it unlikely a second inquiry will be made, if it does happen…plan accordingly."

"More importantly," Sakura said, visibly seething. "That flesh golem was the last magus of the Matou Clan? Were they so desperate to gain the Grail so they could wish for their magic to be restored that they'd do that to one of their own? That could easily have been me no thanks to _your_ father."

"…father couldn't have known…" Rin stammered out.

"If you mean to say there's no evidence he knew," Sakura interrupted. "There is also no evidence that he didn't know."

"That still doesn't…"

"Enough…!" Touko snapped. "Tokiomi Tohsaka's possession or not of information with regard to Matou's degeneracy is immaterial. Save it for later."

Sakura bowed to her master, who moved on. "I must say, I'm impressed." Touko said. "Perhaps you just might be of use to us, if you could take on and defeat not one but two Servants, Shirou Emiya."

Touko paused and smiled. "Do not think I did not notice Miss Tohsaka's omissions on the _how_ you defeated the Archer Class Servants of both the fifth and fourth Grail wars." She said. "There is also no need to fill them in, as between the tale just told and your little show earlier upon noticing one of my…pets, I think I know just what has been omitted."

Touko smiled wider on noticing the alarmed expressions on Rin and Shirou's faces. "Fear not," she said. "As a show of courtesy from someone who's had to deal with the obtuseness and short-sightedness of the College of Law in the past, I will keep this secret."

"And you don't want anything in return for it?" Shirou skeptically asked.

"You will be joining us on this expedition, a favor for a favor." Touko said while running a hand through her red hair. And then her smile turned coquettish, as her hand trailed suggestively over her torso. "Or perhaps…you might like something _else_ in exchange for your assistance?"

"That won't be necessary!" Shirou quickly said, and Touko laughed.

"Indeed," she said. "Though a piece of advice: even if you are able to replicate and use Noble Phantasms, do not even attempt to fight a Dead Apostle with them. At best it would be an exercise in futility. At worst…you just might be opening yourself up for a killing blow, or worse, a Blood Kiss."

Shirou blinked. "Why not?" he asked, but it was Rin who answered.

"Noble Phantasms are crystallizations of legends." She said. "They are Human history at its most profound. But Dead Apostles _deny_ Human history. Unless it's an actual Heroic Spirit wielding a Noble Phantasm, there just wouldn't be enough conceptual weight to overcome the denial a Dead Apostle represents."

Rin paused, and then glanced at Touko. "Might I ask if the Dead Apostle we're after is born of a True Ancestor or a magus who turned themselves into a vampire to have more time to chase the Root in?" she asked.

"The latter," Touko replied. "Not that it really matters, as either way they are conceptually-profound. One is the children of the highest authority in the world, while the other are embodiments of higher mysteries. And there is also the fact that your replicas are ranked down, which is also a factor to consider."

"Then what use would it be if I came along?" Shirou asked.

"You don't have to fight the Dead Apostles themselves to be useful." Sakura said. "No, what you will be doing, to use gamer jargon, is _farming_."

"…you want me to kill all the zombies and other…monsters, the vampires will have with them?" Shirou asked.

"Yes." Touko said with a nod. "Buy time for the rest of us to take on and kill the Dead Apostles present."

"…I'm honored that you think so highly of my abilities." Rin cautiously said, and Touko snorted.

"Like I've said before," she said. "You are qualitatively Sakura's equal, and I have every confidence that my apprentice could fight and kill a Dead Apostle if it comes to that. Besides, you were able to match a Caster Class Servant in terms of the quality of your mysteries, if not in terms of quantity. When said Caster Class was Medea of Colchis of all people…I think I have enough proof that you are able to fight and kill a Dead Apostle when the time comes."

"Again, I'm honored."

Touko smirked. "Let's see if you still feel that way when we're through." She asked.

"…after what I told you about how Heaven's Feel ended," Rin defiantly said after a moment. "I think I can say I've seen and faced things just as bad as a Dead Apostle. In particular, a flesh golem bloated by out-of-control Matou absorption magecraft and the corrupted Grail."

"Yes…" Touko thoughtfully said with narrowed eyes. "That is true. In any case, you've made your case, and it seems you really will make an excellent addition to our expedition. Between you, myself, and Sakura here, we'll have three magi each able to fight and kill a Dead Apostle. While Mister Emiya here unfortunately does not share that qualification – through no real fault of his own – he however should be more than capable of keeping their meat shields and pet monsters off our backs while we finish the job."

Touko nodded, and holding out her hands took the pen and paper Sakura offered her. "Here," she said, while jotting something down and then handing it to Rin. "Contact details…I'm still waiting for some detailed information with which to determine operational details, as well as…well, none of your business, to be honest. But when the former is ready, I'll contact you to invite you to a meeting to be briefed. In the meantime, I suggest you get your affairs in order, and make what preparations you can for a vampire hunt. Transportation and accommodation, will be my responsibility."

Touko then turned to her apprentice. "Sakura," she said. "Show them out."

Sakura bowed. "Yes, master." She said. Touko nodded, and then replacing her sunglasses, reclined her seat once more.

* * *

A/N

Unfortunately, as shown in Fate/Strange Fake, Noble Phantasms when wielded by Human beings, are useless against vampires. Apparently, they 'deny' Human history, which Noble Phantasms are the epitome of. Unless wielded by the Heroic Spirit they actually belong to, they just don't have enough conceptual weight to overcome the denial a vampire represents.


End file.
